^Private  jCibrart/ 

OF 

FRED  W.  DAVIS. 


No 


UBRARY 

Diversity  OF 
SAN  DIEGO 


3   1822  01089  4210 


fs 

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Afloat  in  a  great  City 


A  STORY  OF  STRANGE  INCIDENTS 


,   BY      / 


FRANK*  A.  MUNSEY    /fS'Y'//*£" 


^ 


NEW  YORK 

FRANK   A.    MUNSEY 
1S97 


COPYRIGHT,  i8q7 
BY 

FRANK  A.  MUNSEY 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 


/^N  a  dark  November  night — the  wind  blowing 
^■^^  strongly  from  the  east,  chilly  and  dispirit- 
ing— a  boy,  thinly  and  most  shabbily  dressed, 
emerged  from  a  side  street  carrying  in  his  hand 
a  coarse  sack  partially  filled.  He  walked  aim- 
lessly up  Broadway  till  he  reached  Union  Square, 
and  there,  taking  a  position  opposite  Fourteenth 
Street,  leaned  wearily  against  a  tree. 

He  had  no  especial  object  in  going  there 
rather  than  to  any  other  part  of  the  great  city. 
He  drifted  there  as  a  deserted  boat  drifts  upon 
the  ocean  ;  and  yet  there  was  a  stronger  influ- 
ence operating  upon  him  than  the  effect  of  wind 
and  current  upon  the  boat — a  mysterious  some- 
thing that  directed  his  steps  to  this  point. 

The  scene  about  him  was  picturesque.  The 
broad  branches  of  the  tree  against  which  he 
rested,  together  with  their  leaves  and  twigs, 
were  photographed,  by  the  electric  light,  in 
shadows  of  rare  beauty  upon  the  stone  walk  at 
his  feet. 


2  AFIyOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

A  little  to  the  left  was  the  great  statue  of 
Washington  upon  his  horse  in  full  military 
armor,  and  still  nearer  was  I^afayette ;  while  to 
his  right  stood,  facing  him,  the  monument  of 
Abraham  Lincoln. 

Just  across  the  street  were  tall,  handsome 
buildings,  and  directly  in  front  of  him,  on  the 
sidewalk,  were  many  richly  dressed  ladies  and 
gentlemen  hurrying  along  Fourteenth  Street 
on  their  way  to  the  Star  Theater  to  see  a  famous 
tragedian  in  one  of  Shakspere's  great  plays. 

They  passed  gaily  by  without  being  heeded  by 
him  or  giving  him  a  passing  thought,  though  in 
his  rags  he  was  a  conspicuous  figure  amid  the 
more  cheerful  objects  that  surrounded  him. 

Presently  a  lady  and  gentleman  drew  near, 
accompanied  by  a  boy  who  had  seen,  probably, 
about  sixteen  summers. 

The  boy's  dress  was  that  of  extreme  elegance. 
He  carried  lightly  in  his  hand  a  small  silver 
headed  cane,  and  wore  upon  his  head  a  hat  of  the 
latest  shape.  His  feet  were  encased  in  patent 
leather  shoes  of  the  most  pointed  style,  while  his 
trousers  fitted  tightly  to  his  long,  slim  legs. 

Upon  his  upper  lip  was  a  down  like  substance, 
barely  visible  by  the  strong  rays  of  the  electric 
light.  Altogether  he  presented  the  appearance 
of  an  exquisite  dude. 

For  some  reasons  this  party  especially  attracted 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  3 

the  attention  of  the  friendless  boy  by  the  tree. 
He  looked  at  them  sharply  to  determine  whether 
he  had  ever  seen  them  before.  He  concluded 
that  he  had  not,  and  yet  he  felt  a  strong  fancy  to 
know  something  of  them. 

He  had  never  felt  so  keen  an  interest  in  any 
one  before  ;  and  why  in  these  people,  more  than 
in  others,  he  asked  himself. 

"  Perhaps  it's  that  dude's  long  legs,"  he  said 
to  himself  with  a  smile. 

The  party  was  now  directly  opposite  him,  and 
the  lady  turned  her  sweet,  motherly  face,  and 
gave  him  a  look  of  sympathy  that  passed  over 
him  like  an  electric  current,  and  awakened  within 
his  breast  a  tenderer  feeling  than  he  had  ever 
before  known. 

"Poor  boy,  how  I  pity  him,  and  what  a  sad, 
sweet  face  he  has  ! ' ' 

This  much  our  young  friend  heard  the  kind 
woman  say,  and  the  warmth  of  his  poor,  starved 
nature  went  out  to  her,  while  the  crystal  drops  of 
gratitude  that  rolled  down  his  cheeks  told  her,  in 
one  hasty  glance,  the  effect  her  kind  words  had 
had  upon  him. 

"  He  is  no  ordinary  street  boy,"  she  thought, 
and,  notwithstanding  his  repulsive  dress,  she 
would  gladly  have  stopped,  had  not  the  gentle- 
man hurried  her  along  that  they  might  reach  the 
theater  in  time  to  see  the  opening  of  the  play. 


4  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"Such  S3'mpathy  for  a  ragged  little  Arab  like 
that — te-he- he-he  !  aw,  it's  quite  too  funny,  you 
know  ! ' ' 

This  remark  from  the  exquisite  youth,  and  his 
thin,  irritating  laugh  of  ridicule,  in  which  his 
father  joined,  speedily  froze  the  warmth  of  our 
young  hero's  feelings  and  aroused  his  indignation. 

His  manliness  and  naturally  high  spirit  rebelled 
against  being  insulted  by  any  one,  and  instantly 
he  dropped  his  sack  and  started  out  to  teach 
the  young  dandy  a  much  needed  lesson  in 
civility. 

The  crowd  of  theater  goers  was  so  large,  how- 
ever, that  he  could  not  easily  reach  him,  and  it 
was  fortunate  that  he  did  not,  for  upon  reflection 
he  saw  plainly  the  folly  of  such  an  act. 

He  followed  closely  behind  the  unknown  party 
that  had  so  suddenly  stirred  within  him  these 
extreme  emotions,  and  overheard  the  following 
conversation : 

"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed.  Perry,  to  speak  in 
that  spirit  about  any  one,"  said  the  lady,  reprov- 
ing the  owner  of  the  long  legs  and  patent  leather 
shoes. 

"So  his  name  is  Perry,"  thought  our  hero. 
"  I  am  glad  to  learn  so  much,  any  way," 

"  Why,  he  is  only  a  gamin — a  mere  ragpicker," 
answered  Perry  contemptuousl3^ 

Again  our  young  friend  found  it  difficult  to 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  5 

restrain  himself  from  collaring  the  author  of  this 
remark  ;  but  said  he  to  himself,  "the  time  of 
reckoning  will  come  for  you,  my  fine  fellow,  and  I 
shall  make  it  a  point  to  be  present  on  that  day. ' ' 

' '  Whatever  he  does  for  a  living,  he  is  never- 
theless human,  and  is  therefore  entitled  to  the 
sympathy  of  all,"  replied  the  lady, 

"  Aw,  yes,  but  you  see  we  men  don't  have  as 
much  sentiment  as  ladies." 

"  It  is  quite  evident  that  you  have  not,  Perry. 
But  suppose,  for  instance,  j^our  position  were 
exchanged  with  that  of  the  boy  of  whom  you 
speak  so  scornfully.  Would  you  not  then  crave 
some  sympathy  and  assistance  ?  ' ' 

' '  Aw,  good  gwacious  !  what  an  absurd  supposi- 
tion !  The  very  ideah  of  me  being  dressed  like 
that  gamin  and  picking  rags  for  a  living  !  Oh,  it 
is  quite  too  funny,  eh-ha-ha-ha  !  "  and  again  his 
father  laughed  approvingly. 

' '  But  you  have  not  answered  my  question. ' ' 

"  Oh,  but  don't  you  see,  I  can't  imagine  myself 
in  such  a  position,"  replied  the  boy. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because,  eh — reall}^  you  see — I  wouldn't 
know  how  to  be  a  ragpicker. ' ' 

"Well,  I  hope  j^ou  will  never  have  to  learn 
how  ;  but  remember,  my  boy,  wealth  often  leaves 
one  very  suddenly,  and  then  it  is  but  a  single 
step  from  a  palace  to  poverty." 


6  AFIvOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"You  are  quite  right,"  answered  the  father, 
* '  but  you  see  Perry  is  young,  and  does  not  look 
upon  these  matters  as  we  do,  so  do  not  be  too 
hard  on  him." 

Perry  winced,  for  he  thought  himself  a  great 
man,  and  did  not  care  to  be  looked  upon  as 
young. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  be  hard  upon  him,"  replied 
the  lady,  "  but  I  should  like  to  see  him  grow 
more  thoughtful  and  humane." 

A  cold  Vv^ind  blew  up  Broadway,  bringing  with 
it  a  cloud  of  dust. 

' '  I  know  he  must  be  cold  this  chilly  night  in 
his  tattered  garments,"  said  she,  referring  to 
the  poor  boy,  and  she  drew  her  wraps  more 
closely  about  her  with  a  shiver. 

Father  and  son  shrugged  their  shoulders. 

"  Oh,  he  is  tough,"  answered  the  latter  heart- 
lessly. 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Well,  eh — because  he  is,  you  know." 

"  I  do  not  know  it,  and  besides  you  give  no 
reason. ' ' 

"  I  meant — eh — they  all  are." 

"He  means,"  said  his  father,  coming  to  his 
aid,  "  that  these  gamins  are  so  accustomed  to 
exposure  that  they  do  not  feel  the  cold  as  much 
as  you  would  suppose." 

"Yes,   undoubtedly  they  are  often  subjected 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY,  7 

to  cold  aud  hunger  ;  but  yet  tliey  cannot  stand 
everything. ' ' 

' '  Very  true,  but  most  of  them  seem  rather 
happ5^  in  their  peculiar  existence. ' ' 

"The  buoyancy  of  youth,  I  suppose,  gives 
them  that  appearance.  Still  many  of  them  seem 
like  little  old  men." 

' '  They  are  men — full  grown  men — in  the 
experience  of  the  rough  side  of  life,  while  yet 
mere  boj'S," 

"  It  makes  my  heart  ache  to  think  of  their 
condition,"  answered  the  lady  tenderly, 

"  It  is  a  sad  feature  of  our  great  city,  to  be 
sure  ;  but  what  can  one  do  ?  There  are  so  many 
of  them  that  one  does  not  know  where  to  com- 
mence with  charit}^,"  he  replied,  as  if  acts  of 
charity  were  sweet  to  him,  when  in  reality  he 
cared  only  for  his  self  interest. 

' '  I  think  you  would  be  safe  in  commencing  on 
this  boy,"  answered  the  lady.  "He  looked 
hungry  as  well  as  cold." 

"  Come,  come,  I  fear  you  are  getting  senti- 
mental over  this  young  gamin,"  said  he,  skil- 
fully avoiding  the  point  ;  ' '  but  why  over  this 
boy  more  than  any  other?  " 

"  I  cannot  explain  why.  I  could  not  express 
it  in  words,  and  yet " 

"It  is  decidedly  a  vague  impression,  then," 
interrupted — shall  I  say  her  husband  ?     But  I  do 


8  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

not  know,  for  they  are  total  strangers  ;  and  yet 
if  I  were  forced  to  give  a  guess  upon  the  matter 
I  should  say  that  the  three  compose  one  family — 
father,  mother,  and  son. 

"  Yes,  it  is  an  impression,"  answered  the  lady, 
"  but  one  that  has  taken  a  deep  hold  upon  me." 

"  How  very  odd,"  put  in  Perry,  "  and  such  a 
horribly  ragged  specimen  !  " 

' '  It  was  his  face  that  impressed  me.  It  was 
intelligent — handsome  even." 

Imagine  our  young  friend  walking  behind  this 
party  and  hearing  himself  discussed  in  this  man- 
ner. What  must  have  been  his  feelings,  and 
what  a  conflict  of  emotions  there  must  have  been 
in  his  breast  ! 

' '  I  hope  you  would  not  lose  the  chance  of  see- 
ing this  great  actor  simply  to  look  after  that 
unknown  boy,"  said  the  man  presently. 

"  No,"  answered  the  lady,  after  a  little  thought 
in  which  she  sought  to  learn  her  duty.  "  No,  on 
your  account  I  would  not ;  but ' ' 

Here  her  reply  was  suddenly  interrupted  by  a 
party  of  friends  who  just  then  came  up  and  joined 
them. 

The  poor  lad  looked  wistfully  after  them  as 
they  left  the  sidewalk  and  passed  through  the 
great  doors  of  the  theater. 


II. 


"  T   NEVER  saw  any  one  look  at  me  as  that 

■*•  lady  did,"  thought  the  shivering  boy, 
while  he  retraced  his  steps  to  his  old  position  on 
the  square.  ' '  I  know  from  her  face  she  is  a  good 
woman,  and  she  spoke  so  kind  and  pitying  like. 
How  I  would  like  to  work  for  her  !  I  am  sure 
she  would  dress  me  up — well,  more  than  I  am 
now,  anyway. 

"  But  her  son  ought  to  be  taken  down  a  peg," 
he  continued,  discussing  the  matter  in  his  mind  ; 
"  and  I  would  like  to  do  it,  too.  He  is  a  regular 
dude,  and  a  hateful  one  at  that ;  but  I  think  he 
is  about  like  his  father.  I  shall  get  square  with 
him  yet,  and  perhaps  some  day  I  will  have  as 
good  clothes  as  he  has  on,  and  then  no  one  will 
know  I  ever  wore  rags. 

"  I  wonder  who  I  am,  anyway,  that  I  should 
live  in  that  den,  and  if  I  ever  had  a  father  and 
mother  like  other  boys,"  mused  he,  as  he  once 
more  rested  against  the  tree. 

"Of  course  I  must  have  had  a  father  and 
mother  like  everybody  else ;  but  it  does  seem 
to  me  sometimes  as  if  I  never  had  any.  If  I 
9 


lO  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

had,  why  did  they  ever  give  me  to  that  wicked 
old  woman,  to  Hve  in  that  place  and  endure  her 
abuse  ? 

' '  Perhaps  she  and  her  gang  stole  me  away 
from  them,  and  they  have  been  hunting  for  me 
all  this  time — ever  since  I  was  a  baby.  Who 
knows  ?  I  wonder  how  long  ago  that  was  ?  I 
think  I'm  about  fourteen,  but  I'd  like  to  know 
exactly;  for  now  I  never  have  a  birthday,  'cause 
I  don't  know  when  it  is,"  said  he  sadly.  And 
the  next  thought  in  this  mental  problem,  and  the 
one  which  naturally  forced  itself  upon  him,  made 
his  young  heart  ache  with  grief. 

"Yes,"  he  admitted  sorrowfully  to  himself, 
' '  they  may  be  dead — my  own  father  and  mother. 
How  I  wish  I  could  remember  them  ! ' '  and  for 
the  second  time  that  night  the  tears  rolled  down 
his  pale  cheeks. 

"  I  wonder  if  I  look  like  them,  and  if  they  were 
rich  or  poor!"  he  continued,  speculating  upon 
this  subject,  which  for  him  had  a  strange  fasci- 
nation. 

He  felt  a  keen  desire  to  know  something  of  his 
ancestors — something  about  the  people  who  were 
his  own  flesh  and  blood. 

He  felt  that  those  with  whom  his  lot  had  been 
cast  were  none  of  his  kin,  for  he  was  in  no  sense 
like  them — coarse,  low,  and  repulsive.  How  he 
came  to  be  with  them  was  a  mystery  that  he  was 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 1 

most  anxious  to  solve.  The  story  of  his  early- 
life — that  part  which  memor}^  could  not  recall — 
he  longed  to  know.  He  had  tried  every  means 
at  his  command  to  obtain  some  light  upon  this 
question. 

He  had  asked  the  squalid  old  woman,  with 
whom  he  had  passed  all  his  remembered  life,  to 
tell  him  his  story. 

But  the  request  only  brought  down  upon  him 
more  abusive  treatment,  while  the  much  coveted 
information  was  withheld  by  this  repulsive  speci- 
men of  humanity,  almost  devilish  in  character. 

From  others  of  her  gang  he  had  tried,  by  coax- 
ing and  bribing,  to  get  a  clue  that  would  aid  him 
in  solving  this  problem. 

But  all  proved  to  no  purpose.  That  they  knew 
much  he  felt  sure,  and  the  fact  that  each  guarded 
the  secret  so  carefully  led  him  to  believe  there 
was  a  deep  plot  connected  with  his  early  life — a 
mystery  surrounding  it,  so  dark  that  it  seemed  to 
him  he  could  never  penetrate  it. 

And  this  thought  gave  the  subject  additional 
interest — so  much  so  that  he  found  himself  hour 
after  hour  indulging  in  the  wildest  speculations 
upon  the  matter,  as  he  knocked  about  hither  and 
thither  among  the  rubbish  of  a  great  city. 

But  he  was  more  than  a  dreamer,  more  than  a 
mere  speculator  upon  the  past,  though  with  him 
there   were    the    strongest   reasons   for    such   a 


12  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

teudency.  Nevertheless,  he  had  an  eye  to  the 
future ;  for  he  possessed  a  strong  ambition,  and 
a  degree  of  intelligence  rarely  seen  in  a  boy  of 
his  age. 

His  education,  such  as  it  was,  had  been  picked 
up  in  the  busy  streets  of  New  York,  by  observa- 
tion and  by  the  hardest  kind  of  experience.  He 
was  older  than  his  age,  so  long  had  he  been  in 
contact  with  the  world.  He  had  grown  up 
literally  between  kicks  and  cuffs,  and  deprived 
of  the  love  and  the  privileges  that  make  a 
boy's  life  sweet  and  happy — that  make  it  worth 
living. 

Almost  all  boys  growing  up  amid  such  sur- 
roundings would  become  coarse  and  degraded ; 
but  it  was  not  so  with  him.  He  must  have 
inherited  from  his  parents,  whoever  they  were,  a 
capacit}^  for  good  behavior  and  manly  conduct. 
And  now  the  events  of  this  evening,  the  slurs 
heaped  upon  him  by  Perry,  kindled  anew  his 
ambition  and  determination  to  make  a  break  in 
his  present  life,  and  to  leave  the  old  woman  and 
her  filthy  ragpicking  forever. 

But  when  he  considered  what  a  fierce  storm 
this  would  raise,  and  how  cruel  she  and  the 
gang  about  her  could  be  in  a  matter  of  revenge, 
he  hesitated,  and  trembled  at  the  result  that 
might  follow. 

True  to  his  purpose,  however,  and  with  manly 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GRKAT  CITY.  13 

courage,  he  said  slowly  and  firmly,  as  if  measur- 
ing the  force  of  each  word  : 

"  I  am  not  her  boy,  and  I  will  not  be  her  slave. 
I  shall  leave  her,  come  what  may,  and  commence 
a  new  life. ' ' 

Presently  he  raised  his  head,  and  turning  to 
the  right  saw,  at  a  little  distance,  the  figure  of 
a  man  whose  eyes  were  fixed  intently  upon  him. 

His  face  was  kind  and  sympathetic,  thought- 
ful and  sad,  generous  and  humane.  It  was  the 
great  statue  of  Abraham  I^incoln, 

Our  young  friend  was  not  superstitious,  and 
yet  he  felt  peculiarly  impressed — almost  as  if 
his  very  thoughts  had  been  read  by  the  bronze 
likeness  of  the  martyred  president. 

Then  he  called  to  mind  the  stories  he  had 
heard  of  him — of  his  early  hardships  in  life. 
Though  of  a  different  character  from  his  own, 
they  were  perhaps  quite  as  hard  to  overcome, 
and  the  thought  encouraged  him  to  push  on  in 
his  purpose  to  make  a  man  of  himself. 

"It  is  so  cold  and  so  late,  I  will  go  home 
tonight,"  he  said  to  himself,  and  he  reached 
down  mechanically  for  his  partially  filled  sack. 

It  was  not  there,  much  to  his  surprise  and 
regret.  He  looked  all  about  the  tree,  but  could 
not  find  it. 

"I  must  have  left  it  by  the  other  tree,"  he 
thought. 


14  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Again  he  was  disappointed,  for  here  he  could 
find  no  trace  of  it. 

"  It  has  been  stolen,"  he  was  forced  to  admit. 
"  Somebody  took  it  while  I  followed  that  dude  to 
the  theater.  Oh,  I  wish  I  had  never  seen  him," 
he  sighed,  and  he  threw  himself  upon  a  bench  to 
think. 

"  If  I  go  home  without  that  sack  of  rags  there 
will  be  trouble.  The  old  woman  will  be  mad, 
and  will  make  a  lively  row." 

He  shrank  from  encountering  her  wrath.  He 
knew  she  would  say  he  sold  it.  This  of  course 
he  would  deny,  and  yet  what  explanation  could 
he  give  ?  He  felt  that  a  crisis  had  come,  and  he 
decided  to  maintain  his  dignity,  and  not  submit 
tamely  to  her  abuse. 

"  Why  go  home  at  all?  "  said  he,  "  for  I  am 
going  to  leave  her  tomorrow,  anyway." 

But  the  cold  wind,  which  had  now  become 
more  penetrating,  helped  him  to  decide  the  point ; 
and  he  started  with  a  heavy  heart  for  the  place 
he  called  home — a  hovel,  filthy  and  in  all  senses 
most  unhomelike.  Still  it  was  a  shelter  from  the 
chill  night  air. 

He  walked  dov^^n  Broadway  for  a  number  of 
blocks,  then  turned  to  his  left  and  followed  this 
course  till  he  found  himself  in  the  vicinity  of 
Cherry  Street  and  the  Kast  River.  I  will  not 
locate  the  place  definitely,  but  will  say  that  his 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 5 

destination — the  place  he  called  home — was  not 
many  blocks  either  way  from  this  neighborhood. 

He  groped  his  way  through  a  dark  narrow 
passage  that  led  into  a  court,  and  thence  to  the 
outer  door  of  the  old  building  in  which  he  lived 
— a  sort  of  human  hive,  so  closely  were  its  numer- 
ous denizens  crowded  together.  Our  young  friend 
opened  the  door  and  entered.  The  passageway 
was  dark — dark  as  the  blackest  ink — and  the  air 
was  heavy  and  foul,  as  if  the  very  w'ood  of  the 
old  structure  were  combining  with  rags  and  rub- 
bish to  produce  this  peculiar  compound  odor. 
No  wonder  the  poor  boy  looked  thin  and  pale 
after  breathing  such  air. 

He  ascended  the  stairs  till  he  reached  the 
fourth  floor,  and  walking  a  few  steps  to  the  left, 
placed  his  hand  upon  the  latch  of  a  door. 

Something  told  him  to  pause  a  moment  and 
listen  before  entering.  He  did  so,  and  heard 
what  seemed  to  him  like  angry  voices. 

"Shall  I  go  in  now  I  am  here?"  he  asked 
himself.  "Yes,  I  will  not  turn  back,  but  will 
meet  the  worst  bravely,"  and  he  opened  the  door 
and  passed  in. 


III. 


"  I  ^HE  room  was  large  aud  dirty.  Here  and 
there  were  piles  of  rags  and  scraps  of  paper, 
as  they  had  been  sorted  into  the  various  grades. 
In  one  corner  was  a  lot  of  bones — beef  bones, 
probably — for  the  manufacture  of  bone  ware. 
Another  corner  contained  a  large  pile  of  old 
shoes — some  good  enough  to  be  mended,  others 
suitable  only  to  be  worked  over  into  cheap  shoes, 
and  the  poorest  of  the  lot  good  for  nothing  but 
to  be  converted  by  chemical  process  into  imita- 
tion gutta  percha,  from  which  buttons,  combs, 
etc. ,  are  manufactured. 

Old  tin  cans,  bottles  of  all  descriptions,  bits  of 
iron,  nails,  brass,  etc.,  formed  a  part  of  the  col- 
lection to  be  turned  into  money.  On  a  shelf  was 
a  well  filled  box  of  cigar  stubs,  picked  up  from 
the  sidewalk,  from  spittoons,  and  from  the  gut- 
ter, to  be  converted  into  "  choice  cigarettes,"  or 
ground  into  snuff. 

The  walls  were  black  with  dirt,  and  the  ceiling 

was  low,  and  dingy  with  smoke  and  dust.     An 

old  cook  stove  served  to  keep  the  room  warm, 

while  the  only  light  came  from  an  old  lamp  with 

i6 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  17 

a  broken  chimney — one  probably  found  among  the 
waste  rubbish  of  the  city. 

And  this  den — for  it  was  nothing  more  than  a 
den — so  filthy  and  squalid,  was  what  this  poor 
boy  called  home  !  It  was  the  only  home  he  knew, 
and,  much  as  he  loathed  it,  it  served  as  a  shelter 
from  the  cold  and  gave  him  a  place  to  lay  his 
weary  head  at  night. 

Unattractive  and  unhomelike  as  this  place  was, 
it  did  not  in  any  sense  compare  in  ugliness  with 
the  spirit  that  ruled  over  it — an  old  woman  of 
most  repulsive  appearance. 

Her  forehead  was  low  and  receding  ;  her  eyes 
small  and  deeply  set  under  heavy,  overhanging 
brows,  and  her  skin  wrinkled  and  coarse.  She 
had  a  large,  long  nose,  hooked  like  a  vulture's 
beak,  which  had  become  red  through  heavy 
drinking,  and  thus  it  contrasted  strongly  with 
the  rest  of  her  face,  which  had  grown  dingy  and 
almost  black,  like  the  surroundings  in  which  she 
lived. 

Her  teeth,  the  few  scattered  ones  still  remain- 
ing, black  stumps  as  they  were,  added  much  to 
her  forbidding  appearance. 

The  dress  she  had  on — or  more  properly  the 
apology  for  a  dress — was  filthy  and  tattered,  and 
her  whole  manner  was  coarse  and  low. 

The  peculiar  action  of  her  little  eyes,  reddened 
by  drink,  and  set  far  back  in  her  head,  was  a 


l8  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

sight  that  might  well  cause  a  shudder.  Hers  was 
indeed  an  evil  e}'e. 

"I  heard  voices,  surely  I  did,"  thought  the 
lad,  as  he  entered  the  room  and  found  no  one 
there  save  the  old  woman.  "  I  must  have  been 
mistaken,"  he  finally  concluded,  "but  I  did 
think  I  heard  a  strange  voice  ;  and  she  looks 
ugly,  too,  as  if  she  had  been  quarreling  with 
some  one.  It  is  strange."  And  here  his  thoughts 
were  interrupted  by  Mother  Grimmis,  for  that  is 
the  name  by  which  she  went. 

"Where  have  you  been  all  this  time,  5'ou 
young  imp  ?  ' '  demanded  she  angrily,  as  the  boy 
entered  the  room. 

A  frown  passed  over  his  face  at  this  greeting. 
He  paused  a  moment,  thinking  how  best  to  reply, 
for  he  saw  she  was  much  excited,  and  badly  under 
the  influence  of  drink. 

"  Answer  me  or  I'll  make  yer  wish  yer'd  never 
got  here  alive,  yer  good  for  nothing,  you  !  "  and 
she  stamped  her  heavy  shoes  ominously  upon  the 
floor. 

' '  Where  should  I  have  been  ?  "  he  asked,  by 
way  of  answering  her  question. 

"  Yer  orter  been  earnin'  me  some  money." 

"  That  is  what  I  started  to  do." 

"What  yer  started  to  do — didn't  yer  do  it, 
yer  good  for  nothing  ?  ' ' 

"  I  did  earn  some,  and " 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  19 

"I'd  orter  turn  yer  into  the  street,  yer  soft 
mouthed  pauper,  you  !  " 

"I'm  uot  a  pauper,  nor  ever  was,"  said  the 
boy,  firing  up. 

He  was  not  sure  of  this,  but  he  ventured  the 
statement. 

"Oh,  yer  not,  are  yer?" 

"No,  I'm  not,"  replied  the  lad  firmly  and 
with  proper  dignity. 

"  'Tis  only  me  that  keeps  yer  from  it,  then — me 
that  feeds  yer  and  gives  yer  a  place  to  sleep. ' ' 

"  You  don't  keep  me  from  it,  for  I  earn  you 
three  times  as  much  as  I  get  out  of  this  miserable 
hovel." 

"  Miserable  hovel,  is  it?  Bad  luck  to  the  day 
I  ever  saw  yer  !  ' '  replied  she  more  excitedly. 

Our  young  hero  saw  the  battle  had  actually 
commenced,  and  he  felt  he  might  as  well  speak 
his  mind  fearlessly.  It  was  useless  to  go  back 
now. 

"It  was  worse  luck  for  me,"  he  retorted 
indignantly.  "  I  might  have  been  something 
besides  a  street  ragpicker  if  I  had  never  seen 
you. ' ' 

This  was  too  much  for  her,  and  she  made  a  dive 
at  him  as  if  her  purpose  were  annihilation  ;  but 
he  eluded  her  wicked  grasp  by  a  marvelous  leap 
which  took  him  completely  over  a  table  and  put 
him  out  of  her  reach.      So,  instead  of  grabbing 


20  AFI^OAT  IN  A  GRE;AT  CITY. 

him  as  she  intended,  she  clutched  frantically  at 
the  air,  and  the  resistance  of  this  was  so  slight 
that  she  fell  headlong  upon  the  pile  of  old 
shoes. 

This  made  her  desperate,  and  she  hissed 
between  her  scattered  teeth  an  imprecation  that 
I  forbear  to  give  ;  but  by  way  of  making  the 
most  of  her  defeated  purpose  she  grabbed  one  of 
the  big  heavy  shoes  at  her  feet  and  threw  it  sav- 
agely at  his  head. 

He  dodged  the  missile  skilfully  and  made 
toward  the  door,  thinking  to  stop  the  battle  by 
leaving  instantly.  But  now  he  was  not  so  for- 
tunate, for  Mother  Grimmis,  suspecting  his  pur- 
pose, and  being  nearer  the  door,  quickly  took  a 
position  between  him  and  the  only  means  of  exit. 

"  No  yer  don't  !  "  she  shouted  triumphantly. 
"I'll  show  yer  who  I  am,  yer  miserable  imp." 

"I  don't  want  a  row  with  you,"  he  said 
calmly. 

"  I'll  row  yer  to  yer  sorrow." 

"Well,  you  won't,  for  I'll  not  stay  another 
day  in  such  a  den." 

"  Yer  won't,  won't  yer  ?  " 

"No,  I  will  not." 

"  Yer' 11  see  to  your  sorrow,  for  I've  got  yer 
and  I'll  keep  yer  2i prisoner.'' 

The  word  ' '  prisoner ' '  came  out  with  a  terrible 
emphasis,  and  made  the  boy  positively  shudder. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  21 

Her  little  eyes  snapped  fire,  aud  her  wrinkled 
visage  looked  dark  and  threatening,  like  the 
great  black  clouds  before  a  furious  tempest. 

"I  don't  belong  to  you,  aud  you  have  no 
right  to  keep  me." 

He  felt  now  more  than  ever  that  he  was  of 
different  kin,  and  he  asserted  this  boldly. 

"  I've  got  yer  in  my  clutches,  and  I'll  keep  yer 
there,"  said  she,  with  tremendous  force,  thrust- 
ing her  hands  from  her  in  a  demoniacal  gesture 
that  fairly  terrified  the  boy.  He  had  never  seen 
anything  in  all  his  life  so  awful  as  was  this  wom- 
an's attitude  toward  him. 

She  seemed  possessed  of  a  mad  frenzy,  and  the 
action  of  her  long  bony  fingers  sent  a  chill  through 
the  lad's  frame,  as  they  worked  so  threateningly. 
The  nervous  twitching  of  her  mouth,  the  move- 
ment of  her  deep  sunken  eyes — spiteful,  even 
wicked  as  it  was — and  the  ominous  grating  to- 
gether of  the  few  black  stumps  in  her  mouth, 
alarmed  him.  He  instinctively  drew  farther 
away  from  her,  that  he  might  be  the  better  pre- 
pared for  whatever  movement  she  made,  and  said 
in  reply  : 

' '  Yes,  you  probably  stole  me  from  my  friends, 
or  you  never  would  have  had  me." 

"  I'd  better  never  seen  yer,"  said  she. 

"  You  don't  deny  it,  then  ?  "  replied  the  boy, 
feeling  he  had  gained  a  point. 


22  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY 

"  I  do  deuy  it — steal  an  imp  like  you  !  "  she 
snarled  derisively. 

"How  did  yoii  get  nie,  then?"  said  he,  fol- 
lowing up  the  slight  clue  to  the  subject  so  dear 
to  him. 

"  None  er  yer  business." 

"It  is  my  business,  and  I  have  a  right  to 
know  it." 

Mother  Grimmis  held  fast  to  the  door,  fearing 
that  if  she  left  it  he  would  in  some  way  dodge 
her  and  make  his  escape. 

The  boy  noticed  this,  and  was  shrewd  enough 
to  try  and  hold  her  to  this  subject  till  she  should 
become  calmer.  He  feared  that  if,  while  so 
excited,  she  were  to  discover  that  he  brought 
home  no  sack  of  rags,  serious  trouble  would  fol- 
low. And  she  had  grown  somewhat  quieter 
when  she  made  the  dreaded  discovery. 

Immediately  firing  up  again,  she  demanded  to 
know  where  the  pack  was. 

"I  don't  know.     I " 

"  Don't  know?  "  interrupted  she  angrily. 

"  I  was  going  to  explain,"  he  replied. 

"  Yer  better — mighty  quick,  too." 

"  But  )-ou  interrupted  me " 

"Tell  me,  I  say,  what  you  done  with  it," 
again  interrupting  him. 

"  I  stopped  to  rest,  and  set  it  down  beside  me, 
and " 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  23 

"A  pretty  lie  ;  yer  sold  it  to  get  money  for 
yourself,  j'er  thief." 

"  I  told  you  the  truth,  and  I  am  not  a  thief, 
much  as  you  have  tried  to  make  me  one,"  replied 
the  boy,  with  burning  indignation. 

"I'll  show  you  whether  it's  a  lie  or  not," 
shouted  the  old  hag  ;  and,  grabbing  a  cudgel,  she 
made  a  desperate  plunge  toward  the  defense- 
less lad,  who  prepared  to  make  the  best  resist- 
ance he  could. 

"Stop  where  you  are,"  suddenly  shouted  a 
heavy  voice,  and  a  tall,  strong  man  sprang  between 
Mother  Grimmis  and  the  boy. 

This  voice  terrified  her,  and  she  retreated  again 
to  the  door. 

"This  has  gone  far  enough,"  shouted  he,  in  a 
resolute,  determined  tone. 

' '  What  business  is  it  to  you  ? ' '  retorted  the 
old  hag,  fairly  trembling  with  anger. 

"I'll  make  it  my  business  to  protect  him  from 
any  further  abuse  from  you.  If  I'd  known  this 
sooner,  he  shouldn't  have  stayed  here  as  long  as 
he  has." 

"  Yer  robber,  you,"  hissed  the  old  woman. 

But  the  tall  man  made  no  reply,  and  turning  to 
the  boy,  he  said  : 

"  Ben,  has  this  woman  always  abused  you  like 
this?" 

Ben — such  was  this  boy's  name  ;  and  when  my 


24  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

readers  learn  that,  they  kuow  nearly  as  much 
about  him  as  he  knew  himself. 

But  Ben  was  almost  paralyzed  with  surprise — 
so  much  that  he  paused  before  replying,  and  said 
to  himself : 

' '  Who  is  this  strange  man  ?  He  must  know 
me,  for  he  calls  me  Ben.  Have  I  ever  seen  him 
anywhere  before — and  why  does  he  take  such 
interest  in  me  ?  " 


IV. 

'T^HE  man  was  above  the  average  height,  had 
^  a  dark  complexion  and  wore  a  full  beard, 
rather  long  and  very  black  ;  so  black,  indeed,  that 
it  gave  him  a  swarthy  look.  A  deep  scar  was 
prominent  upon  his  face. 

It  started  downward  near  the  top  of  the  ear,  on 
the  right  cheek,  and  rounded  well  up  under  the 
cheek  bone.  His  e5''es  were  as  black  as  his  beard, 
his  features  were  hard,  and  stamped  him  as  a  man 
without  refinement,  whose  sense  of  morality  was 
withered  by  long  contact  with  evil. 

And  5'et  this  man,  forbidding  as  was  his  appear- 
ance, had  a  better  heart,  a  tenderer  sympathy, 
than  old  Mother  Grimmis. 

Woman  is  better  than  man.  Her  moral 
standard  is  much  higher.  She  is  kinder,  more 
sympathetic,  and  more  generous  to  those  in 
trouble,  and  yet  when  she  falls,  she  falls  to  a  lower 
depth  of  infamy  than  man.  She  will  do  things 
from  which  he  would  turn  away,  against  which 
his  nature,  sordid  and  evil  as  it  might  be,  would 
rebel. 

I  do  not  know  whether  my  readers  will  agree 
25 


26  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

with  me  iu  this  view,  but  I  believe  there  are  facts 
that  will  bear  me  out  in  the  statement. 

Mother  Grimm  is  was  a  fair  illustration  of  this 
theory,  though  there  have  been  still  more  marked 
cases  of  feminine  depravity  than  hers. 

I  speak  of  this  that  I  may  not  be  criticised  for 
representing  this  old  woman  as  she  really  was — 
wicked  and  heartless. 

While  Ben  was  leaning  against  the  tree  on 
Union  Square,  busily  forming  his  plans  for  the 
future,  she  had  been  quarreling  with  this  strange 
man.  Neither  would  yield  to  the  other  in  the 
matter  for  which  each  was  contending.  The 
scene  became  a  stormy  one,  and  at  its  very  height 
our  hero  returned  home.  They  heard  him  ascend 
the  stairs,  walk  to  the  door  of  the  room,  and  place 
his  hand  upon  the  latch. 

' '  Who  is  it  ?  "  asked  the  man  excitedly. 

"  It's  the  boy,"  she  replied  sulkily. 

' '  Are  you  sure  ?  ' ' 

"  Yes,  I  know  his  step." 

"I  must  not  be  seen  by  him,"  he  replied 
uneasily  ;  and  grabbing  his  hat  he  stepped 
quickly  into  a  small  closet,  the  door  of  which 
happened  to  have  in  it  quite  a  large  hole. 
Through  this  he  had  a  good  view  of  the  room, 
and  saw  the  boy  as  he  entered. 

Mother  Grim  mis  had  become  so  enraged  at  the 
man  that  she  could  hardly  contain  herself ;  and, 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  27 

unable  to  veut  her  spite  iipou  him,  she  turned 
upon  the  boy  in  the  cruel  manner  shown  in  the 
preceding  chapter. 

The  man  witnessed  this  treatment  from  his 
retreat,  and  his  wdiole  nature  protested  against 
such  mad  abuse. 

"But  it  won't  do  for  me  to  show  myself  to 
the  boy,  much  as  I  would  like  to  protect  him," 
said  he  to  himself. 

When,  however,  the  old  hag  made  the  dive  for 
the  boy  that  resulted  in  her  fall,  the  man  could 
hardly  restrain  himself  from  rushing  out  and 
punishing  her  as  she  deserved. 

He  was  upon  the  very  point  of  doing  so,  when 
he  saw  the  lad  escape  her  grasp  by  his  marvelous 
leap. 

"By  Jove,  he's  a  keener — that  boy  is," 
exclaimed  he,  almost  aloud,  and  he  felt  a  thrill 
of  delight. 

He  noted  well  the  old  hag's  manner  from  his 
hiding  place,  so  awful  it  had  become  ;  and  his 
sympathy  for  the  boy  was  so  fully  aroused  that 
when  her  final  plunge  came,  he,  no  longer  able 
to  restrain  himself,  rushed  from  the  closet  and 
saved  the  lad  from  a  blow  that  might  have  proved 
serious. 

So  sudden,  so  unexpected,  was  the  man's 
appearance,  that  it  was  not  surprising  that  Ben 
became  speechless  for  a  few  moments. 


28  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

But  after  he  recovered  from  the  surprise,  he 
reached  his  hand  out  to  the  tall  stranger,  and 
thanked  him  sincerely  for  shielding  him  from  the 
old  hag's  fury. 

"I  am  very  glad  to  protect  you,"  was  the 
reply. 

"  Thank  you,  sir.  It  did  look  as  if  I  needed 
some  protection  about  that  time. ' ' 

' '  I  should  say  so,  and  it  is  fortunate  I  was 
here.  But  tell  me,"  he  continued,  "how  long 
has  this  been  going  on  ?  " 

"  It  was  never  like  this  before,  sir." 

"Have  you  never  been  abused,  then,  till 
tonight?" 

"  I  can't  say  that  and  tell  the  truth  ;  but " 

"  Don't  be  afraid  to  speak  out." 

"But  it  might  be  worse  for  me,"  said  Ben 
cautiously. 

' '  I  will  protect  you  from  her.  I  want  to 
know  what  sort  of  treatment  you  have  received. 
It  has  been  bad,  I  feel  sure,"  said  the  stranger, 
casting  a  threatening  glance  at  Mother  Grimmis, 
who  was  now  walking  backward  and  forward  by 
the  door,  like  a  caged  lioness — furious  with  anger. 

' '  Yes,  it  has  been  nothing  but  abuse  ever  since 
I  can  remember, ' '  replied  the  boy  boldly  ;  ' '  but 
I  have  made  up  my  mind  to  stand  no  more  of  it." 

' '  You  are  right.  I  would  not  stand  it  if  I  were 
you." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  29 

"I  don't  think  it  would  be  safe  to  remain 
after  tonight's  performance." 

' '  No,  it  would  not ;  and  I  only  wish  I  had 
known  before  about  this  treatment — you  shouldn't 
have  stayed  all  this  time." 

"No,  I  suppose  not,"  answered  the  boy 
mechanically,  while  he  repeated  to  himself  these 
words,  "  I  only  wish  I  had  known  before  of  your 
treatment — you  shouldn't  have  stayed  all  this 
time,"  and  he  looked  closely  at  the  man  to  try 
to  make  out  if  he  had  ever  seen  him  before. 

He  could  not  decide  this  point  satisfactorily  to 
himself.  Had  he  seen  him  on  the  street  he 
would  have  said,  ' '  No,  I  have  never  seen  this 
man.  He  is  a  stranger  to  me. ' '  But  now  he  felt 
that  he  remembered  the  ugly  scar  on  his  cheek, 
though  he  did  not  recognize  the  face  in  any  way, 

"  I  am  certain  I  have  seen  that  scar  before,  or 
one  just  like  it,"  said  he  to  himself  finally  ; 
"  but  I  can't  remember  when  or  where — it  seems 
so  far  away',  so  dim  an  impression." 

' '  Have  you  any  place  to  go  to  ?  "  asked  the 
stranger,  after  a  pause. 

"  No  ;  nowhere  in  particular." 

' '  Nor  any  money  ?  ' ' 

"No,  sir." 

"How  will  5'ou  get  along,  then?  " 

"Oh,  I  will  manage  it  all  right,"  replied  the 
boy  cheerfully. 


30  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  Remember,  it  is  a  cold  night." 

"Yes,  I  know  it  is,  but  I  am  accustomed  to 
the  cold." 

"  If  I  had  any  money  I  would  give  it  to  j'ou." 

"  Thank  you,  sir,  3'ou  have  already  been  very 
kind  ;  but  I  can  manage  in  some  way. ' ' 

' '  If  you  prefer  to  remain  here  till  morning  I 
will  stay  with  you  and  see  that  3^ou  are  not 
harmed;  that  would  be  better  for  you  than 
wandering  in  the  streets  on  a  cold,  stormy  night. " 

' '  No,  I  would  not  wish  5'ou  to  do  that ;  and 
besides,  I  want  to  go.  I  prefer  to  get  away  from 
this  place  forever. ' ' 

Mother  Grimmis  looked  daggers  at  him,  and 
muttered  a  characteristic  threat. 

"Then  you  shall  go,"  replied  the  man,  as  if 
he  had  absolute  authority. 

' '  I  am  very  thankful  to  you,  sir,  for  your 
kindness.  I  am  ready  to  go,  as  soon  as  I  can  get 
away. ' ' 

"  Have  you  nothing  to  take  with  you  ?  " 

"No,  nothing." 

"No  clothes?" 

"No,  sir,  only  the  ones  I  have  on.  I  want 
nothing  else  from  here. ' ' 

Ben  was  most  anxious  to  leave  at  once.  He 
feared  that,  if  he  delayed,  something  might  pre- 
vent his  CvScaping  from  the  old  woman.  The 
strange  man  had  certainly  been  kind  to  him,  and 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  31 

yet  he  feared  him.  His  appearance  was  forbid- 
ding, and  for  some  reason  the  boy  instinctively 
shrank  from  him. 

"Very  well,  you  may  go,  then,"  said  the  man 
coolly,  as  if  there  remained  now  no  further 
obstruction.  But  there  was  an  obstruction  be- 
tween the  bo 5^  and  the  door,  a  very  lively  one,  in 
the  shape  of  Mother  Grimmis  herself ;  and  she 
objected  most  emphatically  to  the  permission 
granted  by  the  newcomer,  and  hot  words  followed 
fast  between  them. 

She  guarded  the  door  carefully  for  a  while,  but 
as  the  scene  grew  more  lively,  and  her  uncon- 
trollable temper  rose  higher,  she  neglected  this 
important  post. 

Ben  had  been  watching  eagerly  for  a  chance  to 
reach  the  door,  and  when  the  opportunity  came 
he  shot  by  her  like  an  arrow,  and  was  on  his  way 
down  the  old  stairs,  covering  half  a  dozen  steps 
at  a  leap. 

And  he  did  not  stop  when  he  reached  the  street, 
but  kept  on  running  till  he  found  himself  on  the 
corner  of  Grand  Street,  when  he  paused  for 
breath  and  looked  back,  half  expecting  to  be 
grabbed  and  taken  back  to  old  Mother  Grimmis' 
den. 


V. 


A  ND  here  he  waited,  listened,  and  wondered, 
but  no  step  did  he  hear. 

No  one  in  that  vicinity  was  moving.  The  street 
lamp  on  the  opposite  corner  burned  dimly ;  but 
it  was  very  dark  in  that  squalid,  dingy  part  of 
the  city.  Not  far  away  was  the  great  East  River. 
In  that  direction  all  looked  black,  and  the 
melancholy  lapping  of  the  waves,  raised  by  the 
occasional  passing  of  a  late  boat,  had  an  unpleasant 
effect  upon  the  nerves  of  the  lad. 

Yet  he  felt  happy  over  his  escape,  and  his  mind 
became  absorbed  in  thinking  over  the  dramatic 
scenes  through  which  he  had  just  passed,  and  in 
speculating  as  to  who  the  tall  stranger,  with  the 
ugly  scar  upon  his  face,  could  be. 

"  Why  didn't  I  ask  him?  "  said  he  to  himself ; 
' '  perhaps  he  would  have  told  me.  I  would  like 
to  know  him.  He  talked  as  if  he  knew  me,  and 
had  authority  to  act  with  me  as  he  chose.  The 
longer  I  think,  the  more  it  seems  to  me  I  have 
seen  him  before.  He  may  know  all  about  me — 
what  my  real  name  is  and  where  I  came  from. 
He  has  been  so  kind  to  me  that  perhaps  he  would 
32 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  33 

tell  me.  But  then  he  may  not  know.  I  believe 
he  does,  though,  from  the  way  he  talked.  He 
wouldn't  have  allowed  me  to  remain  there,  he 
said,  just  as  if  I  were  his  own  boy,  or  he  had  a 
right  to  do  with  me  as  he  pleased. 

"  If  he  had  never  seen  me  before,  he  wouldn't 
have  talked  that  way,"  continued  the  boy  in  his 
process  of  speculation  and  reasoning.  "  I  won- 
der why  he  hid  when  I  went  into  the  room,  I 
was  sure  I  heard  voices,  and  now  I  know  he 
didn't  hide  for  nothing.  If  he  didn't  want  to  see 
me,  there  must  be  some  cause  for  it,  and  that  is 
what  I  want  to  find  out  ;  but  how  am  I  to  do  it  ? 
If  I  had  had  any  sense  I  would  have  asked  him 
to  tell  me  where  I  could  see  him  ;  but  I  didn't 
think  then,  as  I  wanted  to  get  away  from  him 
and  old  Mother  Grimmis, 

"I  wonder  why  he  was  there  with  her,  and 
what  they  were  quarreling  about.  Perhaps  they 
are  having  a  lively  time  now,  and  one  or  the  other 
of  them  may  get  hurt.  I'm  glad  I'm  away  from 
that  wicked  old  hag,  and  I  hope  I  will  never  set 
eyes  on  her  again  ;  but  I  will  be  lucky  if  I  don't, 
for  she  will  try  to  have  me  captured  by  her 
gang  ;  and  if  she  does  get  me — well,  I  don't 
know;  I  don't  like  to  think  about  it;  it  fairly 
makes  me  shudder. ' ' 

Thus  he  spent  a  little  time  in  thought,  and 
then  wondered  how  he  should  pass  the  night. 


34  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

His  situation  was  a  forlorn  one.  Where  should 
he  go  ?  What  should  he  do  ?  Not  a  cent  in  his 
pocket,  not  a  friend  had  he  to  whom  he  could  go 
for  shelter.  The  cold  wind,  blowing  up  from  the 
river,  pressed  him  for  an  answer  to  this  question. 
He  felt  that  he  must  do  something  ;  standing 
there — surrounded  by  those  old  buildings,  in  a 
locality  about  which  he  had  heard  frightful  stor- 
ies— was  not  to  his  liking. 

The  stillness  of  the  night  was  oppressive.  The 
clock  in  a  distant  church  tower  now  commenced 
striking.  Ben  counted  eleven  strokes,  and  how 
clear  and  loud  they  were  !  He  had  never  before 
heard  them  sound  like  that.  Again  it  was  still, 
very  still,  and  the  lad  felt  oppressed  with  a  sense 
of  loneliness.  With  a  heavy  heart  he  turned  to 
go.  His  muscles  worked  stiffly,  and  a  cold  chill 
passed  over  him  as  he  stepped  on  the  crossing, 
where  the  wind  struck  him  more  pitilessly  than 
ever. 

And  now  suddenly  came  a  crashing  sound,  only 
a  little  way  up  the  street,  as  if  something  had 
been  moved,  and  in  moving  had  fallen  to  the 
sidewalk.  All  was  quiet  again,  not  a  sound  to 
break  the  stillness ;  and  the  boy  felt  a  sickening 
sense  of  fear.  What  could  it  be  ?  Was  it  a  rob- 
ber, or  was  it  a  repetition  of  one  o^  the  old  scenes 
— stories  to  which  he  had  listened  with  open 
mouth  and  boyish  terror  ? 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  35 

These  thoughts  hastily  passed  through  his 
raiud,  and  again  he  listened.  Now  he  thought 
he  heard  a  faint  noise — yes,  he  was  sure  of  it, 
for  the  sound  was  approaching  him.  Ahnost  an}-- 
thing  would  have  alarmed  him,  and  his  fear 
increased  till  he  thought  a  change  in  his  loca- 
tion especially  desirable  ;  and  yet  he  was  curious 
to  see  whoever  or  whatever  was  coming  down 
the  street. 

As  a  compromise,  however,  between  his  desire 
to  get  away  from  that  corner  and  his  curiosity 
for  investigation,  he  walked  part  way  across  the 
block,  and  there  took  a  position  in  a  secluded 
niche,  where  he  was  shielded  from  the  light  on 
the  corner,  and  yet  would  be  able  to  see  any 
object  passing  down  the  street. 

He  had  scarcely  taken  this  position,  when  a 
big  shaggy  dog  came  in  sight,  and  stopping 
directly  under  the  gaslight,  looked  about  him 
and  sniffed  the  air.  He  was  very  large  and  power- 
fully built. 

"Perhaps  he  is  waiting  for  his  master," 
thought  Ben  ;  "  a  robber  or  something  worse  ;  who 
knows  ?  " 

But  as  no  one  appeared,  the  boy  concluded 
that  the  noise  up  the  street  was  caused  by  the 
dog — possibly  by  tipping  over  a  barrel,  or  some- 
thing of  that  sort ;  and  his  fear  commenced  to 
abate. 


36  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

He  was  almost  ashamed  of  himself  for  having 
been  so  badly  startled.  He  need  not  have  felt 
this,  for  in  such  lonesome  surroundings  a  very 
slight  sound,  aided  by  a  frightened  imagination, 
will  seem  like  almost  anything  naturally  to  be 
dreaded. 

After  sniffing  the  air  for  a  while,  the  dog 
deliberately  turned  and  came  toward  our  young 
friend  with  a  sort  of  a  swinging  trot. 

Ben  saw  this,  and  instantly  became  alarmed 
again,  as  well  he  might.  It  had  not  till  now 
occurred  to  him  that  this  huge  brute  might  prove 
a  worse  enemy  than  man. 

"Shall  I  run?"  he  asked  himself,  but  very 
sensibly  he  concluded  that  such  an  act  would 
prove  dangerous. 

The  dog  was  fast  approaching,  and  the  boy 
groped  about  in  the  darkness,  searching  for  a  club 
or  anything  that  would  serve  as  a  weapon  of 
defense.  But  he  could  find  nothing,  and  he 
decided  to  stand  well  in  the  shade,  and  keep  so 
still,  if  possible,  that  the  dog  would  pass  by  with- 
out noticing  him. 

Nearer  and  nearer  he  came,  till  within  a  few 
yards  of  Ben  ;  and  then  he  suddenly  stopped  and 
looked  back. 

The  lad's  anxiety  deepened.  Would  the  dog 
turn  and  go  the  other  way,  or  would  he  come  on 
and  attack  him  ?     This  suspense  continued  but  a 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  37 

few  moments,  for  after  renewed  sniffing  the  great 
St.  Bernard  again  fell  into  a  lazy  trot. 

Now  he  was  almost  opposite  the  boy's  partial 
hiding  place.  The  trot  still  keeps  up;  soon  he 
has  passed  him. 

At  this  the  boy's  heart  bounds  with  a  feeling  of 
relief,  and  yet  he  keeps  as  still  as  death.  A  long 
breath,  even,  might  attract  the  dog's  attention. 

Now  the  dog  comes  nearer  again,  but  the  boy 
doesn't  move,  except  to  shrink  within  himself. 
A  man  would  have  been  scarcely  less  frightened, 
for  there  is  hardly  anything  more  terrifying  in 
the  night  than  the  growl  of  a  great  dog.  With 
no  means  of  protection,  one  feels  keenly  his  help- 
lessness against  the  possible  attack  of  the  savage 
brute.  It  is  a  trying  position,  and  one  that  will 
make  the  strongest  man  shudder. 

Not  being  able  to  defend  himself,  Ben  saw  that 
his  only  wise  course  would  be  one  of  kindness, 
and  he  attempted  to  speak.  His  mouth  opened, 
but  there  did  not  seem  to  be  air  enough  left  in 
his  lungs  to  produce  an  intelligible  utterance. 

Failing  in  this,  he  reached  out  his  hand,  with 
the  palm  down,  as  if  to  stroke  the  dog. 

Herein  he  showed  rare  presence  of  mind.  The 
growl  ceased,  and  as  that  ceased  speech  returned 
to  the  lad,  and  he  spoke  kindly  to  the  big  St. 
Bernard.  The  dog  wagged  his  tail  in  a  way  that 
seemed  to  say  ; 


38  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  I  accept  your  greeting,  and  am  glad  to  be 
friends  with  you  ; ' '  and  by  way  of  apology  for 
his  gruff  manners,  he  stepped  up  and  licked  Ben's 
hand  affectionately. 

In  return  for  this,  he  got  several  reassuring 
pats  on  the  head ;  and  then  their  friendship  was 
sealed. 


VI. 


"DEN'S  fright  was  over  now,  and,  though  weak 
from  its  effect,  he  felt  glad  the  dog  had 
come  along,  for  he  was  a  fine,  great  fellow,  and 
seemed  more  of  a  friend  than  the  people  with 
whom  his  life  had  been  thrown. 

The  dog  was  a  fine  specimen  of  the  St.  Bernard 
breed.  A  collar  was  around  his  neck — a  hand- 
some, silver  plated  one ;  and  it  bore  this  name  : 

' '  William  Montgomery,  No. Lafayette  Place, 

New  York." 

' '  He  has  strayed  away  from  his  owner, ' ' 
thought  Ben,  "and  I  must  take  him  home. 
Perhaps  a  reward  will  be  offered — of  course  it 
will,  for  so  valuable  a  fellow  as  he  seems  to  be  ; 
but  it  didn't  cost  me  anything  to  find  him.  It 
was  he  that  hunted  me  up  ;  but  what  a  fright  he 
gave  me!  You  did,  didn't  j'ou,  old  fellow?" 
addressing  his  canine  friend,  and  patting  his  head 
affectionately. 

The  dog  answered  ' '  yes ' '  with  a  wag  of  his 
tail — his  chief  means  of  expressing  approval. 

' '  I  guess  this  is  a  piece  of  good  luck — a  sort 
of  blessing  in  disguise — getting  you,"  said  Ben, 
39 


40  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Still  talking  to  his  dumb  friend;  "I'm  glad  to 
have  you,  anyway  ;  you  are  a  nice  old  fellow." 
And  the  dog  licked  his  hand  in  return  for  this 
expression  of  kindness.  "  I'd  like  to  keep  you  ; 
but  you  do  not  belong  to  me,  so  I  shall  take  you 
to  your  owner. ' ' 

They  were  now  walking  along  side  by  side,  the 
St.  Bernard  evidently  as  well  contented  with  his 
temporary  master  as  if  he  had  been  wdth  him  for 
years. 

Presently  they  reached  the  Bowery,  and,  turn- 
ing to  the  right,  walked  up  that  peculiar  street. 

The  Bowery,  a  single  wide  street  of  about  a 
mile  in  length,  is  a  town  within  itself.  No  other 
American  city  has  a  place  like  it.  There  is  but 
one  Bowery  on  our  continent,  and  that  one  is  in 
New  York. 

It  is  a  market  place,  and  a  place  of  residence, 
where  men,  women,  and  children  are  almost  in- 
numerable. They  live,  such  as  their  living  is — 
in  the  rear  of  the  shops,  in  the  shops,  under  the 
shops,  and  over  the  shops — wherever  room  can  be 
made  at  night  to  stow  away  the  children  and 
stretch  themselves  out  for  a  few  hours'  sleep. 

Every  nationality  is  represented  there,  and 
consequently  every  form  of  religious  belief  has  its 
followers — the  majority,  however,  being  of  the 
Jewish  faith. 

Everything  imaginable  can  be  found  for  sale 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  4 1 

in  the  Bowery  shops,  and  at  prices  adjusted  to 
the  customer's  inexperience,  his  means,  or  his 
credulity. 

The  Bowery  trader  is  a  peculiar  character.  He 
is  not  a  modest  individual,  and  there  is  nothing 
delicate  about  his  sensibilities.  To  hear  him  talk 
you  would  think  he  was  giving  his  goods  away, 
when  actually  he  is  getting  a  very  large  price  for 
most  inferior  articles. 

He  is  a  philosopher,  and  his  philosophy  tells 
him  to  get  people  into  his  shop — get  them  in,  get 
them  in  by  some  means,  no  matter  what.  And 
then  for  the  fine  work — the  v/ork  of  a  born 
philosopher,  of  one  who  reads  character,  thoughts, 
and  purposes.  He  draws  out  his  victim,  by  one 
device  and  another,  learns  how  much  monej^  he 
has,  what  he  wants,  and  what  he  can  be  talked 
into  buying. 

I  say  victim,  for  the  chances  are  that  he  will 
become  the  victim  of  a  sharp  transaction,  how- 
ever small  it  ma)''  be,  before  he  gets  out  of  the 
store. 

Many  clever  dodges  are  employed  by  the  mer- 
chant to  draw  people  into  his  shop.  The  most 
effective  way,  and  the  one  most  practised  in  the 
Bowery,  is  to  stand  on  the  walk  before  the  shop 
door  and  forcibly  lug  customers  in,  so  to  speak. 

The  shopkeeper  hails  them  as  they  pass,  calls 
their  attention  to  something  in  his  window,  and 


42  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

in  some  instances  lays  his  hands  upon  the  victims' 
shoulders  and  walks  them  into  the  shop. 

Some  of  the  larger  stores  employ  several  men, 
known  as  "pullers  in,"  simply  to  run  in  cus- 
tomers. 

And  when  I  say  that  these  men  are  generally 
paid  according  to  the  number  of  people  run  in, 
my  readers  will  perhaps  be  able  to  form  a  slight 
idea  of  the  noise  and  persuasive  eloquence  peculiar 
to  the  Bowery. 

The  street  is  always  well  filled  with  people, 
often  crowded.  Children  are  everywhere — in  the 
shops,  on  the  sidewalks,  and  in  the  street. 

Through  this  din  Ben  passed  proudly,  with 
his  handsome  St.  Bernard  sticking  closely  to  him. 

The  dog  attracted  much  attention,  and  being  in 
the  hands  of  a  ragged  lad  like  Ben,  the  shrewd 
ones  readily  concluded  that  he  had  found  or  had 
stolen  him,  and  was  taking  him  home  to  hold  for 
a  reward. 

They  saw  money  here — ten,  twenty,  perhaps 
fifty  dollars — and  they  looked  covetously  at  the 
valuable  dog. 

At  almost  every  shop  door  he  was  hailed. 
Great  efforts  were  made  to  get  him  inside  the 
shops  with  his  prize.  A  dozen  men  wanted  to 
trade  the  lad  a  suit  of  clothes  for  the  St.  Bernard. 
Much  as  he  needed  clothes,  in  his  ragged,  chilled 
condition,  he  refused  these  offers,  and  kept  on 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  43 

as  fast  as  he  could  make  his  way  through  the 
crowd. 

A  pawnbroker,  the  owner  of  a  very  red  face 
and  a  long,  hooked  nose,  accosted  him. 

"  Vhere  you  find  him?  "  said  he,  referring  to 
the  dog. 

Ben  made  no  reply. 

"I  say,  vhere  you  find  him — the  dog  mid 
you?" 

"I'm  not  obliged  to  tell  3'ou,  am  I  ?  " 

"  It  vas  a  civil  question,  vasn't  it?  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  civil,  but  is  it  your  business  ?  " 

"  I  vood  make  it  my  pishness,  and  your  pish- 
ness  mit  fife  dollar." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  the  boy. 

"  I  mean  dis.     I  gife  you  fife  dollar " 

"  But  I  can't  sell  him.     He  is  not  mine." 

"  You  need  de  money,  I  see,"  said  the  man, 
taking  hold  of  Ben's  thin  jacket. 

"  So  I  do,  but  I  want  to  get  it  honestly  or  not 
at  all." 

"  You  can  leave  him  mit  me  ;  I  lend  you  ten 
dollar  on  him." 

"But  how  can  I  get  him  back,  if  I  should 
spend  the  ten  dollars?  And  if  I  don't  spend  it, 
what  good  will  it  do  me?     No,  I  will  not  do  it." 

' '  I  gife  you  den  twenty  [dollar.  Here  it  is, 
two  ten  dollar  greeupacks,"  said  the  man,  hold- 
ing out  the  money  to  the  lad. 


44  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

They  were  new,  crisp  bills,  and  looked  very 
tempting.  Twenty  dollars  all  his  own — it  would 
be  a  small  fortune  for  him.  But  no,  he  must 
refuse  it.  He  was  commencing  a  new  life,  and 
he  wanted  to  commence  it  right. 

"No,  sir,  I  can't  take  them,"  said  he  de- 
cidedly. 

"  You  get  not  so  much  as  mit  me,"  persisted 
the  sharp  money  getter. 

"Perhaps  I  won't  get  anything,"  replied  the 
boy. 

"  And  you  voodn't  take  twenty  dollar  mit  my 
money  ?  ' ' 

"  No,  sir,  I  have  no  right  to  take  your  money 
for  this  dog,  and  I  will  not  do  so  under  any  con- 
ditions. But  when  I  have  one  to  sell  I  will  come 
and  see  you. ' ' 

The  man  shrugged  his  shoulders  expressive  of 
his  disgust  at  the  boy's  honesty  ;  and  after  a 
little  f urtlier  parley,  he  returned  to  his  shop  door. 

One  fellow  with  a  villainous  face  followed  the 
boy  and  claimed  the  dog  as  his  own,  and  said  he 
had  lost  him  a  few  hours  before. 

But  Ben  knew  this  was  false,  and  refused  to 
give  him  up.  Then  the  man  threatened  desper- 
ate measures  ;  but,  not  succeeding  in  frightening 
the  lad,  he  boldly  attempted  to  take  the  dog  by 
force.  He,  however,  changed  his  mind  very 
soon  ;  for  when  he  placed  his  hand  on  the  collar, 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  45 

of  which  Ben  held  a  firm  grasp,  the  big  dog 
growled  threateningly  and  turned  upon  him  in  a 
savage  manner.  Instantly  the  sneak  abandoned 
his  purpose  and  started  to  run,  when  the  St. 
Bernard  jumped  at  him  and  bit  him. 

A  terrified  howl  came  from  the  fleeing  man, 
while  the  crowd  yelled  derisively  as  the  man 
wheeled  around  a  corner  and  disappeared  from 
view. 

Ben  joined  them  in  laughing  at  the  comical 
side  of  the  matter,  and  proceeded  on  his  way. 

He  was  now  almost  up  to  the  Cooper  Union, 
the  great  stone  library  built  by  Peter  Cooper 
for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  classes  ;  and  turning 
to  his  left  soon  found  himself  in  Lafayette  Place. 

He  walked  down  the  street  in  search  of  the 
number  corresponding  to  that  on  the  dog's  collar. 

The  night  was  so  dark  that  he  could  not  read 
the  numbers,  as  they  were  dimly  printed. 

After  searching  carefully,  and  failing  to  find 
the  right  house,  he  retraced  his  steps  to  the 
beginning  of  the  street,  where  he  found  a  num- 
ber from  which  he  counted  his  way  back  to  the 
middle  of  the  block. 

If  he  had  made  no  mistake  in  counting,  he  was 
now  before  the  right  house  ;  but  there  was  one 
building  larger  than  the  rest.  Whether  that 
should  have  been  counted  as  one  number  or 
more  he  felt  uncertain,  and  consequently  was  not 


46 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 


sure  whether  he  was  now  ascending  the  steps  of 
William  Montgomery's  house  or  not. 

However,  he  pulled  the  bell,  and  waited  for  a 
response.  All  was  dark  in  the  house,  so  far  as 
he  could  judge,  and  not  a  sound  was  to  be  heard. 
The  place  seemed  deserted.  So  much  time 
elapsed  that  Ben  grew  uneasy  and  began  to  think 
no  one  was  living  there. 


VII. 

A  NOTHER  vigorous  pull  at  the  bell,  aud 
presently  Ben  heard  a  sound  ;  a  window 
went  up  directly  above  his  head,  and  a  man's 
voice  called  out : 

"  Who  is  it,  and  what  do  you  want?  " 

"I  want  to  know  if  this  is  where  William 
Montgomery ' ' 

"Ah,  I  see  !  my  dog,  my  dog  !  "  exclaimed  the 
man  in  a  tone  of  mingled  pleasure  and  surprise 
as  he  got  a  glimpse  of  his  highly  valued  St.  Ber- 
nard, and  without  waiting  for  the  boy  to  finish 
his  sentence. 

"  Sallie,  here  is  the  dog — a  boy  has  him  on  the 
stoop  now,"  said  Mr.  Montgomery,  suddenly 
drawing  his  head  in,  and  speaking  with  almost 
childish  enthusiasm.  "  Wait  a  minute,  boy,  and 
I  will  come  down  and  let  you  in — hold  fast  to  the 
dog!" 

This  was  spoken  to  Ben,  and  the  window  closed 
abruptly.  It  was  but  a  few  moments  before  Mr. 
Montgomery  appeared  at  the  door. 

"Come  in,"  said  he  kindly,  "and  tell  me 
where  and  how  you  found  him  ;  ' '  and  he  took  the 
47 


48  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

dog  by  the  collar,  and  all  stepped  into  a  warm, 
luxuriously  furnished  room. 

The  great  dog  jumped  upon  his  master,  and 
showed  plainly  his  pleasure  at  getting  home  from 
his  aimless  wanderings  ;  while  the  man  played 
with  him,  and  by  affectionate  words  and  acts 
showed  almost  a  boyish  delight  at  his  good  for- 
tune in  recovering  his  dumb  friend. 

And  now  his  wife  appeared  on  the  scene.  With 
an  expression  of  pleasure  she  threw  her  arms 
about  the  neck  of  the  returned  wanderer,  and 
petted  and  talked  to  him  almost  as  if  he  were  a  lost 
child  come  home  again.  The  dog  kissed  her,  and 
wagged  his  tail  in  his  most  expressive  manner, 
trying  to  make  evident  his  appreciation  of  the 
warm  welcome  he  had  received. 

Ben  watched  this  scene  with  profound  astonish- 
ment. In  all  his  life  he  did  not  remember  to  have 
seen  so  much  affection  displayed,  and  that  it 
should  be  bestowed  upon  a  dog  seemed  to  him 
beyond  all  reason. 

"By  Jove,"  said  he  to  himself,  "it  beats  all 
the  stories  I  ever  heard.  I  wonder  what  old 
Mother  Grimmis  would  think  if  she  could  see 
this  splendid  room,  and  these  folks  going  on  in 
this  way  ! ' ' 

"But  tell  me,  where  did  you  get  him?  "  said 
Mr.  Montgomery  ;  and  he  took  his  eyes  from  the 
dog  almost    for  the  first  time,  and  fixed  them 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  49 

searchingly  upon  the  boy  before  him,  so  ragged 
and  pmched.  What  a  contrast  was  he  to  the  rich 
surroundings,  as  he  stood  in  that  handsome  draw- 
ing room  !  On  every  side  was  expensive  furniture, 
bric-a-brac,  with  here  and  there  a  valuable  work 
of  art. 

How  soft  the  thick,  rich  carpet  felt  to  Ben  as 
he  stood  awkwardly  upon  it !  Yes,  he  felt  awk- 
ward and  out  of  place  in  the  midst  of  such  luxury. 
He  was  amazed  at  the  display  of  wealth  ;  and  as 
he  chanced  to  contrast  his  own  self  with  the  scene 
before  him,  the  thought  overcame  him,  and  he 
instinctively  moved  back,  as  if  to  leave  the  house 
unnoticed. 

It  was  this  movement  that  attracted  Mr.  Mont- 
gomery's notice,  and  caused  him  to  turn  his  atten- 
tion to  our  3^oung  hero. 

The  man's  face  changed  as  he  gazed  at  the 
scantily  clothed  lad.  That  look  of  pleasure  pro- 
duced by  the  return  of  his  St.  Bernard  gave  place 
to  one  of  kind  sympathy  and  sorrow. 

And  without  saying  another  word  he  touched 
his  wife's  arm  expressiv^ely.  She  looked  at  him 
hastily,  then  turned  her  eyes  in  the  direction  of 
his  gaze.  His  thoughts  were  plain  to  her,  and 
with  all  her  heart  she  joined  him  in  his  sympathy. 

"  Come  and  sit  here,  my  son,"  said  the  man 
kindly,  as  he  drew  a  richly  stuffed  chair  before 
the    sofa,    and   seated    himself    upon    the  latter. 


50  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

His  wife  came  and  sat  beside  him,  and  both 
faced  Ben  as  he  occupied  the  chair  drawn  up 
before  him. 

"  Tell  me  all  about  it,  now,  my  boy  ;  tell  me 
who  you  are  and  how  you  came  by  my  dog." 

The  man  spoke  so  kindly,  and  with  such  evi- 
dent interest,  that  Ben  began  to  feel  quite  at 
ease,  and  told  the  story  as  I  have  told  it  to  you. 
He  told  his  experience  at  Union  Square  during 
the  early  part  of  the  evening,  and  what  he  over- 
heard while  following  Perry  Boggs  and  his  com- 
panions— of  his  subsequent  resolution  to  com- 
mence a  new  life — of  the  dramatic  events  later  on 
at  Mother  Grimmis' — of  his  escape  and  medita- 
tions— of  his  thrilling  adventure  in  finding  the  St. 
Bernard — of  his  difficult  progress  through  the 
Bowery,  and  the  money  offered  him  by  sharpers, 
and  told  them  also  how  little  he  knew  of  his  early 
life,  and  how  earnestly  he  desired  to  learn  more, 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Montgomery  listened  eagerly  to 
this  sad  dramatic  story,  made  more  forcible  by 
the  pitiable  appearance  of  the  lad,  and  the  part 
they  themselves  had  played  in  it  through  their 
own  St.  Bernard. 

Many  times  they  interrupted  him,  asking  ques- 
tions upon  this  and  that  point,  and  during  the 
recital  of  the  most  pathetic  incidents  he  saw  the 
lady  press  her  handkerchief  to  her  eyes,  while 
her  breast  heaved  with  pity. 


VIII. 

IV /r  R.  MONTGOMERY  now  rested  his  head  in 
'''*"■•     his  hand,  apparently  in  careful  study. 

"  And  you  put  a  notice  in  the  Herald  f  "  asked 
his  wife. 

"Yes." 

' '  How  much  reward  did  you  offer  ?  " 

"  Fifty  dollars." 

"  A  pretty  good  sum  of  money  ?  " 

"  Yes,  to  be  sure  ;  but  I  wanted  the  dog." 

"  Yes,"  she  said  thoughtfully,  "I  would  rather 
have  given  five  hundred  dollars  than  lose  him." 

' '  Five  hundred  dollars  !  ' '  repeated  Ben  to  him- 
self, and  he  could  hardly  believe  his  own  senses. 
' '  The  idea  of  paying  five  hundred  dollars  for  only 
one  dog  !  ' '  and  his  amazement  was  strongly  pic- 
tured on  his  face. 

' '  You  are  very   much  indebted  to  this  poor 
•  boy,  then,"  said  the  lady,  with  a  kind  look. 

"  I  am  indeed,  and  he  is  entitled  to  great  credit 
for  withstanding  the  temptations  and  eluding  the 
various  dodges  of  those  Bowery  sharpers.  If  the 
dog  were  in  their  hands,  I  should  have  to  pay 
roundly  to  reclaim  him." 
51 


52  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Ben  was  proud  to  be  so  haudsomely  coin- 
meuded,  aud  yet  he  felt  embarrassed,  and  moved 
about  nervously  in  his  chair,  as  if  he  would  be 
gone.  Mr.  Montgomery  noticed  this,  and  realiz- 
ing that  they  were  all  losing  sleep,  rose  up  from 
his  seat  and  said  : 

"  Your  name,  you  say,  is  Ben  .-'  " 

"Yes,  sir;   Ben." 

' '  No  other  name  ?  ' ' 

"  No,  sir  ;  none  that  I  know  of." 

"That  is  strange.  I  may,  however,  be  able 
to  help  you  to  find  out  your  true  name  and  real 
history,  as  I  am  a  lawyer.  You  have  interested 
me  deeply,  and  I  am  under  many  obligations  to 
you." 

"  Oh,  sir,  do  you  think  you  can?  "  exclaimed 
Ben  eagerly. 

"I  can't  say,  of  course;  but  doubtless  some 
light  can  be  shed  upon  the  matter. ' ' 

This  really  was  not  quite  so  assuring  as  Ben 
would  have  liked ;  nevertheless,  he  felt  hopeful, 
though  he  was  not  quite  clear  as  to  what  "  shed- 
ding light  upon  the  matter"  meant. 

"Yes,  I  will  do  my  best  for  3'ou,  my  boy," 
continued  the  lawyer,  after  a  slight  pause. 

"  If  you  will  and  can  find  out  who  I  am,  I  will 
do  anything  for  you — anything  in  this  world 
that  I  can  do,"  replied  the  lad  with  heartfelt 
.sincerity. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  53 

' '  I  will  promise  you  to  do  all  I  can,  for  you  have 
done  enough  for  me  already. ' ' 

"  Oh,  I  haven't  done  anything.  He  was  good 
company,  and  I  liked  him  as  well  as  he  did  me  ; 
so  I  don't  count  that  doing  anything,"  said  our 
hero,  referring  to  the  dog. 

' '  You  certainly  did  do  a  very  important  act ; 
doubtless  a  more  important  one  than  you  can 
realize." 

"What  did  I  do,  then,  that  was  of  so  much 
importance?"  asked  the  lad,  really  curious. 

"You  proved  yourself  an  honest  boy,  a  boy 
worthy  of  assistance. ' ' 

"Thank  you,  sir,  for  saying  so,"  said  Ben 
gratefully;  "something  always  told  me  to  be 
honest,  though  .old  Mother  Grimmis  tried  to  make 
me  steal." 

"You  were  wise  to  follow  your  own  well 
balanced  sense  of  right  and  wrong,  rather  than 
obey  a  wdcked  command.  Always  act  as  rightly, 
and  work  honestly  and  faithfully  to  help  your- 
self, and  you  will  come  out  at  the  top.  Remember 
this,  my  boy,  for  it  will  be  of  service  to  you  many 
times  in  life. ' ' 

' '  I  hope  I  will  ;  and  what  you  "say,  sir,  en- 
courages me." 

"  I  am  always  glad  to  encourage  boys  to  make 
men  of  themselves,"  said  Mr.  Montgomery,  as 
he  drew  a  large  roll  of  bills  from  his  pocket. 


54  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  No,  please  do  not  pay  me  money,  sir,"  said 
the  shabby,  hungry  boy. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Because  I  would  so  much  rather  you  would 
help  me  as  you  said,  for  I  want  to  know  who  I 
am.  Besides,  old  Mother  Grimmis  and  her  gang 
might  get  me  again,  and — well,  I  don't  like  to 
think  what  might  happen  to  me.  The  money 
would  do  me  no  good,  for  she  would  take  it  from 
me." 

"  But  I  will  help  you  just  the  same,"  said  the 
kind  hearted  man.  "  Where  will  you  spend  the 
night,  if  I  don't  aid  you  with  money?  " 

"  I  don't  know  yet,  but  I  will  find  some  place, 
I  guess." 

"Can't  he  remain  here?"  asked  Mrs.  Mont- 
gomery.     "  I  can  fix  a  room  and  bed." 

"  Oh,  no,  no,  but  I  thank  you  all  the  same," 
said  the  lad ;  and  he  moved  toward  the  door. 

"Then  if  you  would  rather  go,  you  will  take 
this  money,  so  that  you  can  purchase  a  night's 
lodging  and  a  good  breakfast.  Come  to  my  ofl5ce 
tomorrow  morning  at  ten  o'clock.  You  will  find 
me  at  No.  —  Broadway,  near  Wall  Street,  and  I 
will  go  with  you  and  get  you  a  warm  and  com- 
fortable suit  of  clothes,  and  will  provide  for  your 
immediate  wants.  I  will  also  look  into  your 
case  more  fully,  and  see  what  can  be  done." 

"Thank  you  a  thousand  times,  sir,  for  your 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  55 

kindness.  It  is  the  first  kindness  I  have  ever  met 
with,  and  I  do  not  know  how  to  thank  you  for  it 
all  as  I  ought  to. ' ' 

"  You  could  not  show  5'ourself  more  thankful, 
my  boy  ;  so  feel  at  ease  on  that  point,  and  con- 
sider both  my  wife  and  myself  as  your  friends. 
We  shall  be  glad  to  do  all  we  can  for  you." 

"We  shall,  indeed,"  said  Mrs.  Montgomery, 
"  and  I  shall  expect  to  hear  from  you  again  to- 
morrow evening  through  my  husband." 

"Yes,"  said  the  latter,  "  I  will  tell  you  then 
what  there  is  in  the  case. ' ' 

* '  Be  sure  and  come  to  mj^  ofiice  at  the  time 
appointed — ten  o'clock — will  j-ou?"  said  he, 
addressing  the  boy. 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir  !  I  shall  only  be  too  glad  to  do 
so." 

"All  right,  then  I  shall  expect  to  see  you 
promptly.  Good  night."  And  both  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Montgomery  grasped  him  warmly  by  the 
hand  as  he  left  the  house. 

' '  I  wish  I  had  ascertained  where  he  has  been 
living  with  that  old  woman — Grim — eh — Grimes 
— was  that  it?"  said  Mr.  Montgomery,  as  he 
and  his  wife  entered  their  pretty  sleeping  room. 

"  Grimmis — wasn't  it  ?  "  replied  his  wife. 

"  Grimmis,  ah,  yes,  that  is  it." 

"  I  remember  it  struck  me  as  an  odd  name,  but 
quite  an  appropriate  one. ' ' 


56  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"That  is  so." 

' '  Why  do  you  wish  5' ou  knew  her  address  ?  ' ' 

"  Well,  I  suppose  there  isn't  one  chance  in  ten 
thousand  for  her  to  recapture  the  boy  before  ten 
o'clock  tomorrow  morning  ;  and  still  I  should 
feel  safer  if  I  knew  her  address." 

"I  didn't  think  of  that." 

"Neither  did  I  till  too  late.  Well,  we  will 
hope  for  the  best." 

"  Suppose  he  shouldn't  come  to  your  ofiSce  in 
the  morning  ?  ' ' 

"Why,  I  should  believe  he  had  been  recap- 
tured, or  that  something  unimaginable  had  hap- 
pened to  him.  He  has  proved  himself  one  boy 
out  of  ten  thousand,  when  it  is  considered  the 
sort  of  life  he  has  led," 

' '  Yes,  I  agree  with  you  ;  and,  moreover,  he 
has  every  reason  for  seeing  you." 

"  Certainly,  and  he  will  be  there  if  nothing 
prevents  him."  And  thus  the  conversation  ended 
for  the  night. 

"I'm  rich,"  said  Ben  to  himself,  as  soon  as  he 
had  left  the  house;  "five  dollars,  and  all  my 
own  !  By  Jove,  I'm  lucky  !  This  is  a  great 
night." 

His  heart  was  as  light  as  the  air,  and  the  cold 
had  lost  its  dispiriting  effect  upon  him. 

' '  I  wonder  what  old  Mother  Grimmis  would 
think  if  .she  only  knew  all  that  had  happened  to 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  57 

rae,"  he  asked  himself;  and  he  broke  into  a 
brisk  run,  unable  to  restrain  himself  from  some 
physical  exhibition  of  his  buoyant  spirit. 

He  didn't  feel  sleepy,  and  was  therefore  in  no 
hurry  to  secure  a  lodging  for  the  night. 

He  was  now  on  the  corner  of  Eighth  Street 
and  Broadway.  Why  he  was  there  he  did  not 
know — did  not  even  stop  to  think.  He  realized 
he  was  there,  and  that  was  all.  He  would  not 
have  realized  even  this  had  not  the  question 
whether  to  turn  up  or  down  Broadway  forced 
itself  upon  him  for  an  answer.  He  thought  for 
a  moment  or  two — thought  honestly  and  soberly 
— when  his  hand  found  its  way  into  his  pocket 
and  touched  the  new,  crisp  bill. 

He  was  standing  under  a  street  light  at  that 
moment,  and  instantly  the  bill  came  out  for 
another  admiring  glance. 

He  was  too  rich  and  too  happy  to  think  of 
anything  but  his  good  fortune,  and  herein  he 
was  not  unlike  the  rest  of  the  human  race. 

Accustomed  to  nothing  but  abuse  and  poverty, 
a  few  dollars  and  a  few  friendly,  sympathetic 
words  were  more  to  him  than  a  thousand  times 
as  much  money  and  kindness  would  have  been  to 
Perry  Boggs  or  any  other  boy  with  a  cheerful 
home  and  all  its  luxuries. 

He  again  commenced  drifting,  as  he  speculated 
upon  the  possible  outcome  of  his  interview  with 


58  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

lawyer  Montgomery  tomorrow  ;  drifting  without 
apparent  motive.  Yet  his  wanderings  that  night 
brought  about  subsequent  events  that  entered  so 
deeply  into  this  boy's  Hfe,  that  one  would  almost 
think  he  was  influenced  by  some  secret  power, 
whose  nature  I  cannot  explain. 

And  influenced  by  this  unknown  force — if  such 
force  there  really  was — he  drifted  up  Broadway  ; 
not  as  he  had  in  the  early  part  of  the  evening, 
oppressed  and  discouraged,  but  with  a  light  and 
happy  heart  in  the  thought  of  the  prospect  before 
him. 


IX. 


TT  was  a  curious  coincidence  that  he  should 
have  reached  Thirteenth  Street  just  as  the 
play  was  over  at  the  Star  Theater,  and  the  people 
were  coming  from  the  building  ;  and  more  curi- 
ous still  was  the  fact  that  the  first  persons  upon 
whom  he  fixed  his  eyes  were  Perry  and  his  com- 
panions. 

He  had  not  planned  this  second  meeting — had 
not  even  thought  of  it.  It  was  in  fact  long  after 
the  usual  hour  for  the  theater  to  close. 

But  it  happened  that  this  was  a  special  occa- 
sion, and  extra  time  had  been  given  to  the  pro. 
duction  of  the  play. 

Ben  was  greatly  surprised  at  so  soon  and  so 
unexpectedly  meeting  this  party  again  ;  for  since 
the  more  dramatic  scenes  through  which  he  had 
passed  that  evening  he  had  not  thought  of  them, 
except  in  the  recital  of  his  life  story  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Montgomery. 

But   now,    thrown   in   with    them    again,    by 

chance  or  otherwise,  something  of  the  magnetic 

influence  experienced   some  four  hours  before, 

when  he  first  saw  them,  as  he  stood  against  the 

59 


6o  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

tree  on  Union  Square,  seemed  once  more  to  pos- 
sess him. 

The  sweet  motherly  face  of  the  woman  did  not 
seem  at  all  dimmed  to  him  by  his  brightened 
prospects,  and  by  the  brief  happiness  that  was 
now  his. 

The  warm  feelings  in  his  breast  that  invited 
her  love  and  sympathy  were  now  warmer  and 
deeper,  though  he  seemed  less  in  need  of  such  a 
friend  as  he  felt,  and  even  knew,  that  she  could 
be  to  him  if  only  he  could  come  before  her  notice 
and  within  the  range  of  her  kind,  motherly  affec- 
tion. But  in  deep  contrast  with  this  sentiment 
was  the  bitter  repugnance  which  forced  itself 
upon  him  as  he  studied  the  vain,  cold  faces  of 
Perry  and  his  father. 

' '  I  will  follow  them  now  and  find  out  where 
they  live,"  said  Ben  to  himself  triumphantly,  as 
the  thought  suggested  itself  to  him. 

But  to  his  dismay  a  carriage  just  then  drew  up 
to  the  sidewalk,  and  the  lady  and  gentleman 
stepped  into  it. 

"  It  is  no  use  after  all,"  he  thought,  "for  I 
can't  follow  the  carriage  ;  "  and  the  feeling  that 
he  was  baffled  in  his  project  dulled  the  edge  of 
his  keen  spirits. 

"  Come,  Perry,  don't  keep  us  waiting  here  in 
the  cold,"  called  out  the  boy's  father. 

The  former  was  talking  with  a  boy  of  about 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  6 1 

his  own  age,  who  was  evidently  a  dude  like  him- 
self. 

"  You  needn't  wait,"  answered  Perry,  with  an 
air  of  independence  ;  "  I  will  walk  up  with  my 
friend  George." 

' '  You  had  better  come  with  us,  for  it  is  already 
late,  and  very  cold." 

But  after  a  little  further  parley.  Perry  suc- 
ceeded in  carrying  his  point,  as  he  usually  did, 
and  started  up  Broadway  arm  in  arm  with  his 
chosen  companion,  happy  in  his  power  to  over- 
rule his  father's  wishes. 

Our  young  friend  followed  close  enough  to 
keep  a  sharp  eye  on  him. 

"  Ah,  here  is  Tiffany's,"  said  Perry,  as  he  and 
his  friend  neared  the  great  jewelry  store.  "  I 
bought  myself  a  new  watch  here  the  day  before 
yesterday." 

"A  gold  one,  I  suppose?  "  said  George. 

"  Well,  I  should  think  so.  Do  you  suppose  I 
would  carry  anything  but  gold  ?  ' ' 

"Oh,  no;  I  meant — er,  I  said  I  supposed  it 
was  gold. ' ' 

"  Yes,  it  ought  to  be,  for  it  cost  two  hundred 
and  fifty  dollars,"  said  Perry  proudly. 

"  So  much  as  that  ?  It  ought  to  be  a  regular 
swell." 

"  I  should  think  so.  In  fact,  George,  it  is  a 
gentleman's  watch,  a  regular  gentleman's  watch. ' ' 


62  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Thus  they  chatted  till  they  reached  Delmon- 
ico's,  America's  most  fashionable  restaurant. 

"Let's  go  in  and  have  a  bottle  and  a  little 
supper,"  said  Perry,  with  a  man  of  the  world  air. 

"  I  don't  care  if  I  do,"  replied  George,  who 
had  the  erroneous  notion  that  ' '  a  bottle  ' '  after 
the  theater  was  quite  the  proper  thing. 

They  took  seats  facing  each  other  at  a  small 
table  near  a  window.  The  room  was  well  filled 
with  fashionably  dressed  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
who  were  eating,  and  drinking  wine. 

Perry  ordered  raw  oysters  on  the  shell  and 
other  refreshments — in  all,  a  hearty  meal — which 
he  and  his  companion  washed  down  with  a  bottle 
of  expensive  champagne. 

Ben  watched  them  through  the  window  and 
studied  the  movements  of  the  busy  waiters,  in 
swallow  tail  coats,  as  they  hurried  hither  and 
thither  with  tempting  dishes. 

It  was  another  world  to  him.  Beautiful  ladies 
toyed  with  dainty  viands  which  had  taxed  the 
skill  of  artist  cooks,  and  yet  did  not  tempt  their 
appetites,  for  they  were  not  hungry.  Eating,  or 
more  properly  toying  with  food,  at  this  late  hour, 
was  with  them  a  social  pastime. 

How  sweet  those  dainty  dishes  would  have 
tasted  to  our  young  friend,  who  had  known  only 
the  coarsest  and  most  unpalatable  food  ! 

But  this  luxury  was  beyond  him — so  far  beyond 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  63 

that  to  suppose  himself  there  would  have  required 
a  cotisiderable  stretch  of  imagination.  And  yet 
the  gulf  was  not  too  great  for  this  poor  boy's 
hopes  to  bridge  ;  for  he  looked  ahead  to  the  time 
when  he  would  be  able  to  dine  at  so  fashionable 
a  place  as  Delmonico's. 

He  saw  Perry  enjoying  all  these  luxuries,  and 
saw  himself — felt  himself — half  starved  and 
nearly  frozen  in  the  cold  night  wind.  He 
would  not  give  up  his  object,  however,  for  he  felt 
determined  to  ascertain  where  the  young  dude 
lived. 

When  Perry  and  his  companion  appeared  again 
on  the  sidewalk,  they  were  feeling  merr}'.  The 
wine  had  commenced  to  do  its  work  and  they 
were  very  talkative. 

As  Perry  and  his  friend  neared  the  "White 
Elephant,"  a  well  known  billiard  saloon  on 
Broadway,  the  former  chanced  to  look  back,  and 
in  doing  so  saw  Ben  following  but  a  little  distance 
behind  him. 

He  at  once  recognized  him  as  the  gamin  who 
had  provoked  the  discussion  in  the  early  part  of 
the  evening,  and  on  this  account  he  felt  a  grudge 
against  him. 

He  had  drunk  just  enough  to  feel  that  he  could 
"  do  up  "  an  ordinary  prize  fighter,  and  that  with 
very  little  effort.  He  wanted  both  exercise  and 
revenge,  and  consequently  he  decided  that  Ben 


64  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

should  become  a  target  for  his  science  ;  and  this 
decision  was  made  without  even  asking  our  hero 
if  he  were  wilHng  to  accept  so  grave  and  respon- 
sible a  situation. 

The  idea  pleased  the  would  be  pugilist  so  much 
that  he  could  scarcely  restrain  his  feelings  of  joy 
till  the  action  should  commence. 

"See  how  I'll  knock  that  dirty  gamin  out  in 
the  first  round, ' '  said  he  ;  and  then  he  worked 
his  arms  in  what  he  supposed  a  scientific  manner, 
and  in  other  ways  made  himself  ridiculous. 

"  He  is  crazy,"  thought  Ben,  "  but  I  guess  he 
means  me  ; ' '  and  he  laughed  at  the  ridiculous 
actions  of  the  exquisite  youth. 

' '  What  do  you  mean  by  insulting  me,  you 
ragaraufiin?"  shouted  Perry,  by  way  of  intro- 
duction. 

"I  have  not  insulted  you  that  I  know  of," 
replied  Ben  firmly,  as  he  attempted  to  pass  on  and 
avoid  trouble. 

"You  haven't,  have  you?"  exclaimed  Perry 
hotly,  as  he  squared  away  in  professional  style. 

"  I  have  not,  and  I  would  advise  you  to  keep 
at  a  safe  distance,  if  you  don't  want  to  get  hurt," 
replied  our  hero  indignantly. 

' '  Get  hurt  by  you  ! ' '  Perry  laughed  derisively ; 
then  making  a  savage  lunge  at  his  supposed  tar- 
get, he  shouted,  "Take  that,  and  see  if  I  need 
your  advice  ! ' ' 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  65 

But  the  target  was  alive — very  much  alive,  iu 
fact — and  warding  off  his  opponent's  blow  re- 
taliated with  a  stinging  "tap"  under  his  left 
ear. 

Further  sparring  followed,  and  then  the  target, 
becoming  more  and  more  alive,  ' '  tapped ' '  the 
exquisite  youth  heavily  upon  the  cheek. 

This  brought  Perry's  temper  to  a  boiling  point. 
He  was  furious  at  his  inability  to  handle  a  boy  so 
much  smaller  than  himself,  and  sore  from  the 
severe  treatment  he  was  receiving. 

"  I  thought  you  were  going  to  knock  him  out 
so  easily,"  said  George  in  a  taunting  way. 

It  was  a  cruel  remark  for  a  companion  to  utter, 
and  it  enraged  Perry  to  a  high  degree. 

Without  replying,  however — and  in  fact  he  had 
not  much  time  just  then  for  outside  conversation 
— he  withdrew  a  little,  and  then  rushing  upon 
Ben,  made  a  furious  pass ;  but  the  latter  skilfully 
dodged  the  blow,  and  put  in  a  rejoinder  that 
lifted  Perry  off  his  feet,  and  sent  him  sprawling 
upon  the  sidewalk. 

"  Police  !  Police  !  "  shouted  the  bold  pugilist  ; 
' '  take  him  away  from  me  !  "  and  he  groaned  from 
mingled  pain  and  fear. 

In  the  mean  time,  a  crowd  had  gathered  to 
witness  the  excitement.  This  drew  the  attention 
of  a  policeman  who  just  then  came  running  up  to 
.see  what  was  wrong. 


66  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

He  heard  Perry's  call,  and  dashing  through  the 
throng,  seized  him  by  the  collar  and  quickly  set 
him  on  his  feet. 

"There  is  the  villain,"  said  the  latter,  pointing 
to  Ben,  who  stood  calmly  by  awaiting  the  police- 
man's action.  But  now  the  official's  big  hand  of 
authority  grappled  his  arm  tightly.  Perry  said 
he  had  been  assaulted  by  Ben,  and  without  provo- 
cation. The  latter  denied  the  charge,  and 
attempted  to  tell  his  story,  when  the  man  of  brass 
buttons  cut  him  short,  to  listen  to  further  state- 
ments from  Perry,  who  wore  fashionable  clothes, 
and  thus  seemed  to  belong  to  a  fashionable  family. 
He  gave  his  name  as  Perry  Boggs,  number  eight 
hundred  and  —  Fifth  Avenue. 

"  That's  a  fashionable  neighborhood,"  thought 
the  policeman ;  and,  accepting  young  Boggs' 
statement  of  the  case,  he  let  him  go  free,  while 
the  innocent  and  friendless  boy  was  marched  off 
to  the  station  house. 


X. 


nrmS  had  been  an  eventful  night  to  our  j'oung 
hero,  crowded  as  it  was  with  incidents  of 
an  unusual  nature ;  events  among  themselves 
contradictory,  and  yet  all  of  so  important  a  char- 
acter that  they  seemed  certain  to  exert  a  forcible 
influence  upon  his  whole  career. 

' '  What  can  it  all  mean  ?  ' '  asked  Ben  of  him- 
self, as  he  sat  in  the  station  house  cell,  with  a 
heavy  heart,  meditating,  wondering,  and  now 
v/iping  away  a  sad  tear  as  it  rolled  down  his 
cheek. 

' '  It  seems  like  a  dream  ;  why  did  I  follow  that 
boy  and  get  into  this  trouble,  and  when  I  was  so 
happy,  too  ?  ' '  and  thus  he  thought  and  wondered, 
with  his  head  buried  deep  in  his  hands. 

He  w'as  not  sleepy,  and  could  not  sleep,  so 
utterl}'^  crushed  were  his  spirits,  as  he  reflected 
on  his  position,  locked  in  a  cell. 

For  an  hour  or  more  he  studied  the  most  dis- 
mal side  of  his  situation,  and  found,  not  unlike 
many  others,  a  sort  of  cold,  gloomy  pleasure  in 
dwelling  upon  his  own  misery. 

His  mind  had  been  strained,  almost  beyond  its 
67 


68  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

capacity,  in  contemplating  the  saddest  possibility 
of  his  case.  Now,  however,  it  rebounded,  and 
took  him  to  the  more  favorable  side,  and  after  a 
while  his  eyes  grew  heavy,  and  he  slept  soundly 
upon  his  prison  couch. 

In  the  mean  time,  Perry  had  returned  home, 
and  he,  too,  was  not  altogether  happy.  In  fact, 
there  was  no  very  good  reason  why  he  should 
feel  particularly  light  hearted.  His  right  eye 
was  badly  swollen,  and  had  grown  very  black, 
while  his  face  showed  various  traces  of  the 
struggle.  His  fine  clothes  were  soiled  with  blood 
and  the  mud  of  the  street.  His  spirits,  no  longer 
exhilarated  by  champagne,  had  sunk  to  a  very 
low  ebb,  so  that  altogether  he  was,  for  the  time 
being,  little  better  than  a  wreck.  As  his  vanity 
could  not  tolerate  this  condition,  he  speedily 
summoned  his  father  to  his  assistance  on  his 
arrival  home. 

Boggs  senior  made  a  hasty  toilet,  and  hurried 
down  to  the  drawing  room  with  a  feeling  of 
alarm,  wondering  what  could  have  happened  to 
his  son. 

But  the  father's  face  grew  whiter  when  he 
stood  before  his  boy,  and  the  feeling  of  wonder 
changed  to  one  of  amazement  and  pity — pity  with 
an  undercurrent  of  indignation  ;  for  Perry  had 
brought  this  upon  himself  by  a  wilful  disregard 
of  his  parent's  wishes  and  advice. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  69 

And  now  he  looked  him  over  and  took  an 
inventory  of  him,  as  he  stood,  to  see  how  much 
value  he  represented,  and  what  repairs  would  be 
necessary  to  put  him  once  more  into  running 
order  ;  if,  indeed,  it  could  be  done  at  all,  which, 
at  the  present  time,  seemed  doubtful. 

A  hasty  explanation  followed,  Perry's  story 
being,  of  course,  colored  so  as  to  favor  himself. 

Whether  the  father  believed  it  all  I  have  seri- 
ous doubts.  Certain  it  is,  however,  that  he  looked 
troubled  and  anxious. 

"  It  was  the  same  boy,  you  say,  that  we  met 
tonight  at  Union  Square — the  one  who  provoked 
so  much  discussion?  "  said  Mr.  Boggs,  evidently 
hoping  there  might  be  some  mistake, 

"  Yes,  the  same  one,"  replied  Perry  feebly. 

' '  Are  you  sure  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  I  am,"  returned  the  son  peevishly, 
' '  but  what  difference  does  it  make  ?  ' ' 

' '  It  will  make  a  greater  difference  than  you 
would  like,  perhaps,"  answered  the  father  some- 
what tartly. 

' '  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Never  mind  now." 

"  But  I  want  to  know,"  demanded  Perry. 

"  No,  it  is  nothing,"  was  the  evasive  reply. 

But  there  was  a  strange  nervousness  about  his 
father's  manner  which  made  Perry  feel  that  such 
was  not  the  case,  and  the  mystery  aroused  his 


70  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

curiosity.  After  further  conversation  of  an  un- 
important character,  and  after  the  application  of 
suitable  remedies  to  the  bruises  of  the  youthful 
wreck,  he  was  put  to  bed,  even  more  demoralized 
and  unhappy  than  our  young  friend,  now  in 
custody  of  the  city. 

During  the  performance  in  the  theater,  Mr. 
Boggs'  mind  had  often  reverted  to  Ben,  and  the 
discussion  his  presence  had  started.  The  case 
began  to  interest  him,  and  the  more  thought  he 
gave  to  it  the  more  troubled  he  grew. 

Was  he  troubled  because  he  had  not  exercised 
the  charity  that  this  opportunity  offered  him? 
Was  this  the  cause,  or  was  it  something  deeper 
and  more  mysterious  that  stirred  his  feelings? 

The  matter  had  taken  so  deep  a  hold  of  him 
that  he  was  unable  to  bury  it  in  sleep  on  retiring 
to  bed.  He  rolled  and  tossed,  harassed  with  con- 
tradictory conjectures  and  conclusions  until  Perry 
summoned  him  down  stairs. 

And  now  that  he  had  heard  his  son's  story — 
heard  again,  by  a  most  remarkable  coincidence, 
at  such  a  late  hour  of  the  night,  of  this  street 
boy,  and  had  witnessed  the  painful  effects  of  his 
encounter  with  Perry — he  felt  a  strange  sense  of 
uneasiness,  whether  through  superstition  or 
otherwise  will  undoubtedly  be  known  in  the  fuller 
development  of  our  hero's  life  story. 

Early  in  the  morning,  after  a  sleepless  night, 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  71 

Mr.  Boggs  dressed  himself  in  a  bold  plaid  business 
suit,  and  started  for  the  station  house  in  search 
of  Ben, 

On  the  previous  night  he  had  been  dressed  in 
black,  with  his  beard  combed  down  to  a  point. 
Now  his  dress  was  entirely  different,  and  his 
beard  was  parted  in  the  middle  and  brushed 
back. 

With  these  changes  and  several  other  slight 
touches  of  disguise,  he  hoped  our  young  friend 
would  not  recognize  him. 

By  making  it  an  object  to  the  man  in  charge  at 
the  station  house  he  gained  admission  to  Ben's 
cell,  after  the  latter  had  been  rudely  awakened 
from  a  sound  slumber  by  the  officer  on  guard. 

"  Here's  a  man  who  wants  to  talk  with  you, 
young  feller,"  said  this  authority,  and  he  strode 
out,  leaving  the  strange  man  and  the  boy  together. 
Ben  rubbed  his  eyes,  and  wondered  what  this 
call  meant.  Then  it  occurred  to  him  that  such 
visits  might  be  the  usual  thing  in  station  houses, 
so  he  made  an  effort  not  to  appear  surprised. 

"  I  came  down  to  have  a  little  talk  with  you," 
said  the  man. 

* '  Yes, ' '  answered  Ben  cautiously. 

"  Yes,  I  saw  you  arrested  last  night,  and  I  want 
to  know  if  I  can  help  you  in  any  way, ' '  replied 
the  stranger,  with  apparent  candor. 

"  You  are  very  kind,  sir,  and " 


72  AFIvOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  No,  not  especially  kind  ;  I  came  here  because 
your  case  excited  my  sympathy,"  interrupted  the 
man.  "I  did  not  think  you  had  fair  play,  for 
the  other  boy  seemed  to  escape  scot  free." 

"  It  wasn't  fair  at  all,  for  he  picked  the  quarrel 
with  me,"  replied  the  lad. 

"So  it  seemed  to  me,"  replied  Boggs,  as  if  he 
had  actually  been  an  eye  witness. 

"  Then  you  saw  it  all?  "  inquired  Ben  eagerly, 
for  he  hoped  he  had  found  a  witness  who  could 
help  him  out  of  his  diflSculty. 

"  Certainly,  or  how  could  I  have  known  you 
were  the  innocent  one  ?  ' '  returned  the  stranger, 
without  a  show  of  embarrassment  at  this  false- 
hood. 

He  was  working  for  a  point  that  our  hero  little 
suspected,  and  hardly  shrank  from  any  means  of 
accomplishing  his  purpose,  as  will  be  made 
apparent  a  little  further  on. 

"  That  is  so,"  replied  the  lad,  convinced  ;  "  I 
wonder  if  you  can  help  me  prove  that  I'm  not  to 
blame  !" 

' '  That  is  just  what  I  came  down  for, ' '  answered 
his  pretended  benefactor. 

' '  Thank  you,  sir,  a  thousand  times  !  And  do 
you  think  I  will  get  out  ?  Oh,  I  don't  want  to 
go  to  the  Island  !  It  makes  me  almost  sick  to 
think  of  it!" 

"  No  doubt  I  can  make  it  all  right  for  you,  as 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  73 

the  other  boy  was  in  the  wrong.  You  ought  not 
to  be  punished  for  his  offense. ' ' 

"  That  is  so,  and  I  don't  think  anybody  ought 
to  be  blamed  for  letting  a  sick  looking  dude  Uke 
that  fellow  have  one  or  two  good  ones  ! ' ' 

Boggs  senior  winced  at  this,  and  coughed  as  a 
substitute  for  a  reply. 

Ben  mistook  this  for  a  signal  of  approval,  and 
consequently  he  continued  in  the  same  strain. 

"  He  acted  like  an  idiot,  and  I  think  he  must 
be  one  to  do  as  he  does.  If  he  had  gone  home, 
as  his  father  wanted  him  to,  he  would  have 
shown  some  sense,  and  I  wouldn't  be  in  this 
trouble  now." 

' '  As  his  father  wanted  him  to  !  "  exclaimed 
the  man,  nervous  and  pale  with  anger.  "  Do  you 
know  "his  father?  " 

Ben's  remarks  about  Perry  were  cutting  words 
for  a  father  to  hear  spoken  about  his  own  son, 
while  he  was  unable  to  remonstrate. 

"Well,  yes,"  answered  the  lad,  "I  saw  the 
old  duffer  last  night  a  couple  of  times,  and  I 
don't  like  him  any  better  than  his  spindle  legged 
boy." 

The  perspiration  now  stood  out  upon  the  man's 
face.  He  would  have  paid  handsomely  for  the 
privilege  of  thrashing  our  young  friend  ;  but  pol- 
icy ruled  him,  and  he  adroitly  turned  the  conver- 
sation to  the  point  to  which  he  had  been  leading 


74  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

it,  hoping  to  accomplish  the  real  object  of  his 
visit. 

' '  Have  you  no  influential  friend  whom  I  can 
get  to  help  me  in  getting  you  out  of  this  scrape?  " 
asked  he. 

"No,"  replied  the  boy,  after  a  slight  pause, 
in  which  he  was  occupied  in  studying  the  man's 
face. 

"I  have  seen  him  before,"  thought  Ben,  but 
where  he  could  not  determine. 

' '  But  where  are  your  people — your  father  and 
mother?"  continued  Boggs,  now  getting  down 
to  the  very  core  of  his  mission. 

"  I  don't  know  ;  perhaps  they  are  dead,"  came 
the  reply  sadly. 

"  Don't  know  !  Why  that  is  very  strange. 
Where  do  you  live  ?  Tell  me  all  about  yourself, 
and  perhaps  I  can  be  of  service  to  you,"  said  the 
designing  man. 

He  had  gained  the  boy's  confidence,  and  now 
heard  the  main  facts  of  his  history — facts,  by  the 
way,  that  made  the  muscles  of  his  face  twitch, 
and  caused  him  to  move  about  nervously  upon 
his  seat. 

He  noted  down  old  Mother  Grimmis'  place  of 
abode,  and  also  took  the  address  of  Mr.  Mont- 
gomery, to  whom  Ben  referred,  speaking  of  his 
engagement  to  meet  him  at  ten  o'clock  that  very 
morning. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  75 

Boggs  soon  thereafter  took  his  departure  from 
the  station  house  a  very  nervous  and  unhappy 
man. 

His  worst  fears,  that  had  haunted  him  through- 
out the  night,  were  true.  This  interview  had 
confirmed  them  beyond  a  doubt. 

He  walked  rapidly  up  the  street,  with  his  head 
bowed  in  deep  thought. 

' '  //  shall  be  done, ' '  he  suddenly  broke  out 
aloud,  as  if  to  emphasize  his  own  determination. 

The  peculiar,  nervous  utterance  of  this  sen- 
tence, the  gesture  with  his  clenched  fist,  and  his 
whole  manner,  would  have  impressed  an  observer 
that  something  of  awful  importance  rested  upon 
this  man's  mind. 

Coming  directly  from  an  interview  with  our 
young  hero,  in  so  excited  a  state,  it  would  seem 
that  this  determined  purpose  might  in  some  way 
refer  to  him. 


XI. 


A  T  the  usual  morning  hour  for  clearing  the 
police  docket,  Ben,  with  others  who  had 
been  locked  up  in  the  station  house  during  the 
night,  was  brought  before  the  police  justice 
either  to  get  his  discharge  or  to  receive  sentence 
for  his  misconduct. 

He  expected  to  find  there  the  kind  hearted 
friend  who  had  promised  to  come  and  prove  his 
innocence.     But  he  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

The  court  now  opened,  and  a  tough  looking 
customer  was  brought  up  first. 

' '  Drunkenness,  and  an  old  offender, ' '  said  the 
policeman  who  had  arrested  him. 

"  Three  months  at  the  workhouse,"  was  the 
sentence  of  the  keen,  business  like  little  judge  ; 
and  the  prisoner  was  sent  down  in  charge  of  an 
oflScer. 

Ben  shuddered  at  this  lightning  like  process  of 
dealing  out  justice,  and  looked  anxiously  about 
for  his  friend. 

He  began  to  grow  nervous,  fearing  he  might 
be  disposed  of  in  like  manner  before  assistance 
should  arrive. 

76 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  77 

And  now  another  unfortunate  had  gone  down 
with  a  similar  sentence. 

The  door  opened,  and  several  gentlemen  came 
in.  Our  young  friend  watched  anxiously  for  his 
man  till  it  closed,  and  then  his  heart  grew  sick 
at  the  prospect  before  him.  Now  his  turn  came, 
and  he  stood  up  before  the  keen  eyed  judge. 
"Fighting  in  the  street,"  was  the  policeman's 
charge. 

"But,    sir,"    ventured   Ben   in    a   frightened 

voice,  "  he  struck  at  me  first,  and " 

"  That  is  an  old  story,"  interrupted  the  judge, 
whose  heart  had  become  hardened,  so  many 
similar  cases  were  daily  brought  before  him  ; 
' '  thirty  days  on  the  Island. ' '  Our  young  friend's 
doom  was  sealed,  and  he  was  marched  off ;  while 
the  philanthropic  Boggs  was  in  his  own  room, 
plotting,  plotting,  forced  to  do  so  in  self  defense. 
Our  young  hero,  no  longer  his  own  master, 
failed,  of  course,  to  keep  his  engagement  with 
Mr.  Montgomery. 

The  latter  was  much  disappointed  at  not  seeing 
Ben  as  he  expected.  The  matter  troubled  him 
throughout  the  day,  and  at  night  he  talked  it 
over  with  his  wife,  who  was  no  less  disappointed 
than  her  husband. 

Both  had  coiaceived  a  liking  for  the  lad,  and, 
moreover,  were  strongly  moved  by  the  force  of 
sympathy  they  felt  for  him. 


78  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Mr.  Montgomery  rang  for  a  messenger  boy,  and 
by  this  means  summoned  a  detective  whom  he 
knew  to  be  an  able  and  reliable  man.  Into  his 
hands  he  placed  the  case,  and  instructed  him  to 
hunt  up  the  boy. 

Mr.  Diggs,  Artemas  Diggs — for  that  was  the 
name  of  the  detective — promised  to  do  his  best, 
stating  he  would  report  the  result  during  the 
morrow.  He  accordingly  departed  and  set  about 
his  task.  His  first  act  was  to  put  a  notice  in 
the  Herald,  in  which  he  offered  a  reward  for 
information  regarding  Ben's  whereabouts.  It 
stated  that  he  had  lived  with  an  old  woman 
known  as  Mother  Grimmis,  who  kept  a  ragpick- 
ing  establishment  somewhere  on  the  East  side, 
near  Cherry  Street.  He  (the  detective),  it  went 
on  to  say,  had  important  information  for  the  lad. 

This  notice  found  a  place  in  the  columns  of 
the  morning //if ra;/^,  while  on  another  page  of  the 
same  paper  Mother  Grimmis'  name  appeared 
again,  and  this  time  in  bold  headlines,  which 
conveyed  the  intelligence  of  her  death. 

Mother  Grimmis  had  ended  her  unfortunate 
career — for  she  was  most  unfortunate  in  the 
inheritance  of  degraded  tendencies,  or  in  being 
surrounded  by  influences  that  blighted  the  growth 
of  her  better  nature,  and  molded  her  to  the  evil 
thing  she  was.  But  the  manner  of  her  death 
was  a  mystery. 


XII. 

'T^WO  men  read  this  startling  report  with 
unusual  interest.  They  were  William 
Montgomery  and  Anthony  Boggs.  It  was  the 
connection  of  our  young  hero  with  the  murdered 
woman  that  caused  this  feeling  in  the  minds  of 
each.  But  the  motives  of  their  interest  in  him 
differed  widely.  The  former  thought  only  for 
the  boy's  good,  while  the  latter  would  have  felt 
happy  had  the  lad  lain  dead, 

Mr.  Montgomery  was  puzzled.  The  circum- 
stance was  a  most  remarkable  one.  The  suspicion 
that  Ben  was  connected  with  the  crime  suggested 
itself  to  him,  and  not  unnaturally.  But  he  would 
not  entertain  this  view.  "For,"  said  he,  "the 
boy  proved  himself  honest  and  worthy  of  my 
confidence,  and  it  shall  not  fail  him  now.  Before 
this  mystery  is  cleared  up  he  may  need  it,  and 
need,  too,  the  help  of  a  friend,"  continued  the 
kind  hearted  lawyer. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  scheming  Boggs  was 
busily  revolving  dark  plans  in  his  mind — plans 
that  were  designed  to  penetrate  to  the  very  foun- 
tain head  of  our  young  hero's  life,  and  turn  his 
79 


8o  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

sunny  nature  from  its  natural  course  to  a  chilly 
and  cheerless  existence. 

"The  night  before  last,  according  to  his  own 
story,  he  had  trouble  with  her,  and  left  her  house 
at  a  late  hour,"  argued  Boggs  to  himself,  as  he 
studied  the  various  plots  that  had  suggested  them- 
selves to  him. 

* '  I  can  prove  this  by  his  quarreling  with  my 
boy  at  midnight.  This  shows  he  was  not  at 
home,  and  why  wasn't  he  there?  That's  the 
question  which  he  will  have  to  answer,  and  the 
paper  said  she  had  been  dead  probably  twenty  to 
forty  eight  hours. 

"  Ah,  I  have  it  at  last  ! "  said  the  villain,  rub- 
bing his  long,  thin  hands  together,  and  smiling  a 
cold,  triumphant  smile;  "I  have  it — he  shall  be 
the  murderer  !  " 

This  utterance,  awful  as  it  may  seem,  referred 
to  the  helpless  lad,  now  on  the  Island,  and  that 
through  the  acts  and  falsehoods  of  Perry  Boggs 
himself. 

* '  And  why  not  ?  ' '  continued  the  wily  schemer. 
' '  He  is  now  a  prisoner,  and  this  fact  alone  would 
go  against  him  ;  arrested  on  the  very  night  of  the 
murder,  and  in  a  quarrelsome  mood,  too  !  The 
very  best  of  evidence  ;  yes,  the  very  best. 

"  He  has  no  friends,  and  no  one  to  help  him  ; 
no  friends,"  and  the  man's  countenance  fell  as  he 
repeated  the  last  two  words. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GRliAT  CITY.  8 1 

William  Moutgomery,  the  noted  lawyer,  sprang 
before  him  in  his  imagination,  and  he  saw  him 
befriending  and  defending  the  lad  ;  saw  him  sift- 
ing the  evidence  and  penetrating  deeply  into  the 
case  as  if  aided  by  intuition  ;  saw  him  reading 
acts,  motives,  and  interpreting  them  without 
hesitation  ;  saw  him  review  the  boy's  history,  and 
look  beyond  him  and  beyond  the  dead  woman  ; 
saw  him  fix  his  keen,  penetrating  eyes  upon  others 
— upon  one  other  ! 

Ah,  this  was  the  thought  that  blanched  his 
cheek,  and  froze  the  very  blood  in  his  veins  ! 

He  rose,  and  walked  excitedly  up  and  down  the 
room ;  then,  feeling  himself  unable  longer  to 
bear  the  strain  unaided,  poured  from  a  decanter 
a  large  glass  of  brandy  and  drank  it  at  a  single 
gulp. 

This  soon  revived  his  spirits,  raising  them  so 
effectually  that  he  warmed  again  over  this  evil 
plot. 

Another  glass  of  brandy  gave  him  confidence 
in  himself  and  in  his  ability  to  overcome  opposi- 
tion. 

And  now  he  felt  determined  to  push  his  plan, 
which  was  to  have  Ben  apprehended  as  the 
murderer. 

Mr.  Montgomery's  importance  dwarfed — and 
the  probability  that  he  would  trouble  himself  for 
a  gamin  was  most  remote. 


82  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"In  fact,"  said  he,  "the  boy  told  me  he  had 
only  seen  this  man  once,  so  I  need  not  worry 
about  him.  I've  always  got  through  with  my 
business  in  some  way,  and  I'll  succeed  in  this,  too, 
or  my  name  ain't  Anthony  Boggs." 

And  by  way  of  emphasis  he  brought  his  fist 
down  upon  the  table. 

"Yes,"  he  continued,  now  well  warmed  by 
the  brandy,  "  my  mind  is  made  up  ;  that  gamin 
is  the  murderer,  and  he  will  have  to  pay  the 
penalty.  He  must  be  arrested  at  once.  I  will, 
I— er— I " 

But  here  was  the  rub.  What  could  the  author 
of  this  plot  do  without  implicating  himself  ?  This 
idea  just  occurred  to  him  when  he  found  it 
necessary  to  decide  upon  his  action. 

He  wished  to  keep  himself  in  the  background, 
and  remain  entirely  unknown  in  the  matter  ;  but 
how  could  it  be  done  ?  Some  one  must  point  sus- 
picion to  the  boy,  or  the  plot  would  fall  through. 

"  But  who  will  do  it  ?  "  asked  Boggs  of  him- 
self, puzzled  to  know  how  to  proceed. 

He  was  wise  enough  to  realize  that  a  plot  on 
which  turned  life  and  death  was  a  pretty  serious 
matter,  and  one  that  might  prove  disastrous  to 
its  author. 

"  If  I  said  anything,"  he  argued  to  himself, 
"  that  would  cause  his  arrest,  I  should  be  dragged 
into  court. ' ' 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  83 

This  thought  reduced  his  temperature  to  quite 
a  frosty  point  once  more.  He  seemed  to  dread 
the  sight  of  all  places  of  justice. 

"  But  it  must  be  tried,"  said  he  to  himself, 
with  an  emphatic  gesture,  "  for  this  boy  once 
out  of  the  way,  and  then " 

At  this  point  this  scheming  rascal's  thoughts 
were  interrupted  by  Perry,  who  burst  in  upon 
him. 

Perry  knew  nothing  of  Ben's  life.  He  did  not 
even  know  his  name,  and  had  no  knowledge  of 
his  father's  visit  to  the  boy  in  the  station  house. 
He  knew  simply  that  Ben  was  a  ragpicker — a 
very  lively  gamin,  by  the  waj- — and  as  he  read 
the  notice  inserted  by  Artemas  Diggs,  the  detec- 
tive, he  recognized  Mother  Grimmis'  name  as  the 
same  as  that  of  the  murdered  woman. 

It  was  a  coincidence  that  struck  Perry  as 
"  quite  too  odd,  you  know,"  and  the  thought 
actually  suggested  itself  to  his  thin  intellect  that 
the  boy,  for  whom  the  reward  was  offered,  might 
possibly  be  the  same  one  who  had  frescoed  his 
face  but  a  few  hours  before. 

And  the  touches  of  the  artist's  hand  were  still 
most  conspicuous  in  the  vicinity  of  the  young 
dude's  left  eye,  where  a  very  dark  color  had  been 
spread  as  an  artistic  contrast  to  the  lighter  and 
brighter  tints  which  were  effectually  daubed 
about  his  entire  face. 


84  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Acting  Upon  this  supposition,  Perry  went  to 
his  father's  room,  paper  in  hand,  and  called  his 
attention  to  Mr.  Diggs'  notice. 

Boggs  senior  read  it  hastily.  ' '  Curse  that 
boy,"  was  his  vindictive  reply,  as  he  savagely 
threw  the  paper  upon  the  floor. 

"Why,  what  is  wrong  now?"  asked  Perry, 
frightened  at  such  a  display  of  temper. 

"  Everything  is  wrong  !  It  is  enough  to  drive 
one  mad  !  "  was  the  petulant  reply. 

' '  What  is  it  that  would  drive  you  mad  ?  ' ' 

Not  for  thousands  of  dollars  would  he  have 
answered  the  question,  even  to  his  own  son. 

"This  infernal  worry  and  anxiety,  and  all  for 
you,  too  !  "  answered  the  father. 

' '  All  for  me  ! "  exclaimed  Perry,  alarmed  at 
his  father's  words  and  manner. 

"Yes,  for  you.  But  leave  me  alone.  I  don't 
want  to  talk  to  you  now  ;  I  have  matters  to  think 
about." 

And  so  had  Perry  ;  for  this  revelation  from 
his  father  caused  him  to  think  as  he  never  had 
thought  before. 

That  something  of  a  mysterious  nature  formed 
a  connecting  link  between  his  father  and  our  hero 
now  seemed  certain  to  him. 

And  he  studied  and  pondered  over  the  matter, 
thinking  as  earnestly  and  steadily  as  one  of  his 
caliber   could   think.       But   had  his   mind  been 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GRKAT  CITY.  85 

ten  times  more  logical  and  powerful,  he  would 
have  accomplished  nothing  more  in  the  way  of 
solving  the  mystery  ;  for  the  cold,  wicked  facts 
were  too  deeply  hidden  for  him  to  penetrate  to 
them. 

Left  alone  once  more,  the  schemer  studied  his 
plot  in  the  light  of  the  new  revelation  made  by 
this  notice  of  Artemas  Diggs. 

It  looked  less  feasible  now  than  ever.  The 
result,  if  it  could  be  gained,  would  be  a  perfect 
triumph  for  him  and  his ;  it  would  silence  for 
all  time  the  ever  watchful  something  within, 
which  was  crying,  by  day  and  by  night  as  well, 
danger,  danger,  danger  ;  and  yet  the  chance  was 
too  hazardous  for  him  to  take.  He  shrank  from 
the  consequences  that  might  ensue. 

"No,"  he  said  decisively,  "it  won't  do.  I 
must  fall  back  upon  my  first  plan."  And  he 
immediately  walked  to  the  side  of  the  room  and 
rang  the  bell  for  his  coachmau. 


XIII. 

Wl  HILE  our  hero  is  watched  by  the  sleepless 
eye  of  city  justice,  and  while  the  plotting 
and  anxious  Boggs  is  bringing  about  measures 
for  the  fulfilment  of  his  nefarious  scheme,  I  will 
invite  you  to  accompan}^  me  to  another  scene, 
where  I  will  present  you  to  some  new  friends. 

In  the  "  up  town  "  portion  of  the  city,  on  one 
of  our  famous  avenues,  where  residences  as  fine 
as  any  in  the  world  are  numerous.  Commodore 
Hopkins  sat  in  the  beautiful  drawing  room  of  his 
palatial  home,  with  his  wife  and  only  child — a 
daughter  of  perhaps  fourteen  years  of  age. 

Fairer  features  than  hers  are  seldom  seen,  and 
yet  they  were  rendered  less  noticeable  by  her  still 
more  fascinating  eyes. 

She  lay  in  a  half  reclining  position,  with  her 
long  dark  hair  falling  in  natural  waves  over  the 
pillow  upon  which  she  rested. 

Her  complexion,  naturally  white  and  delicate, 
was  yet  paler  now,  as  if  bleached  by  the  early 
symptoms  of  disease. 

Her  father  and  mother  looked  anxiously  at  her 
pale  and  fast  fading  cheek,  and,  as  if  moved  by  a 
86 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  87 

single  purpose,  each  struggled  to  repress  a  sigh, 
that  the  other  might  be  spared  the  pain  it  would 
produce.  For  each  knew  only  too  well  the  sad 
message  it  would  bear. 

Presently  the  door  bell  rang,  and  Dr.  Chad- 
bourne,  their  family  physician,  joined  them  in  the 
drawing  room. 

"  And  how  is  my  little  girl  today?  "  said  the 
doctor  as  he  took  his  patient  by  the  hand,  after 
having  received  a  warm  greeting  from  Commodore 
Hopkins  and  his  wife. 

"I  hope  I  am  better,  doctor,"  was  Bertha's 
cheerful  reply. 

"  I  hope  you  are,"  rejoined  the  physician. 

His  manner  was  closely  observed  by  the 
anxious  father  and  mother,  as  he  felt  her  pulse, 
listened  to  her  breathing,  and  tested  her  lungs. 

"I  think,  commodore,"  said  the  physician, 
* '  that  a  change  would  do  Bertha  far  more  good 
than  medicine." 

"I  have  thought  of  that  myself,"  replied  the 
father  ;  ' '  but  what  sort  of  a  change  would  you 
recommend?  " 

"If  her  lungs  were  really  affected,  I  would 
make  a  different  suggestion  ;  but  as  I  believe  her 
weakness  is  entirely  due  to  an  exhausted  state 
of  the  system,  I  would  advise  a  long  sea  voyage. 
Nothing,  in  my  judgment,  would  do  her  more 
good." 


88  AFIvOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  It  seems  a  little  strange,  doctor,  that  we 
should  both  have  come  to  the  same  conclusion. 
I  have  talked  the  matter  over  with  my  wife, 
and  had  decided  to  ask  you  for  your  opinion 
upon  such  a  treatment." 

"It  is  odd,  to  be  sure,  but  your  early  life  on 
the  sea  taught  you,  no  doubt,  the  benefits  to  be 
derived  from  an  ocean  voyage." 

"  Do  you  mean  a  trip  to  Europe  ?  "  asked  Mrs. 
Hopkins. 

"  Oh,  how  jolly  it  would  be  to  go  there  !  "  put 
in  Bertha. 

"Yes,  it  is  always  jolly  to  go  to  Europe," 
replied  the  doctor  ;  ' '  but  I  mean  you  shall  take  a 
much  longer  trip,  say  to  Australia,  or  perhaps  to 
China  ;  and  go  by  a  sailing  vessel,  away  from  the 
nauseating  smell  of  a  steam  engine." 

Bertha  looked  thoughtful  now.  It  seemed  such 
an  awful  distance,  that  she  hardly  knew  whether 
to  feel  pleased  at  the  prospect  or  not. 

' '  Would  Australia  be  a  good  objective  point  ? ' ' 
asked  the  commodore. 

"Yes,  I  think,  in  fact,  as  good  as  any  that 
could  be  named. ' ' 

"  It  seems  so  to  me,  for  the  winds  on  the  Pacific 
are  warm  and  invigorating." 

' '  Yes,  and  then  the  trip  in  a  sailing  vessel  will 
consume  seven  months.  A  long  ocean  voyage  is 
just  what  she  should  have." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  89 

"If  you  settle  upon  Australia,"  continued 
the  commodore,  "  we  will  go  in  one  of  my  own 
ships,  for  I  have  one  now  in  port  loading  for 
Sydney." 

"That  is  fortunate,  indeed,"  returned  Dr. 
Chadbourne,  and  his  face  lighted  up  as  if  some 
piece  of  good  luck  had  befallen  him  personally. 

"But  how  soon  does  she  sail?"  asked  Mrs. 
Hopkins,  wondering  if  they  could  get  ready  in 
time. 

"  In  about  a  week,  I  think,"  replied  her  hus- 
band. 

' '  Is  she  a  safe  ship  ?  Of  course  she  is,  though, ' ' 
put  in  the  doctor. 

' '  She  is  one  of  the  best  on  the  ocean, ' '  replied 
Commodore  Hopkins,  ' '  and  is  almost  new. ' ' 

"  Oh,  papa,  is  it  my  ship  ?  "  asked  Bertha,  who 
was  an  interested  listener. 

"Yes,  it  is  the  Bertha  Hopkins,"  replied  her 
father  affectionately. 

"  Oh,  won't  it  be  jolly  to  sail  in  her — in  my 
own  ship  ! ' '  exclaimed  Bertha,  with  some  enthu- 
siasm. 

' '  We  will  go  in  her,  then, ' '  returned  Commo- 
dore Hopkins,  "  if  the  doctor  really  advises  it." 

"I  do,  indeed,"  said  Dr.  Chadbourne.  "I 
have  given  the  matter  careful  thought,  and  am 
satisfied  that  you  could  make  no  wiser  move. ' ' 

"I  think  so   myself;  and   besides,    we   shall 


90  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

have  many  advantages  on  board  of  our  own 
vessel." 

''My  own  vessel,  papa,"  suggested  Bertha. 

"Yes,  your  vessel,  my  dear,  for  everything 
that  belongs  to  your  mother  and  myself  is  yours." 

"  Oh,  how  rich  I  am,  if  I  have  so  many  ships 
and  all  your  business  and  money,  and  this  house 
and  furniture  !  " 

"  I  wish  I  were  worth  half  as  much,"  said  the 
doctor  good  naturedly  ;  "but  now,  my  little 
girl,  you  must  make  up  your  mind  to  get  well 
and  strong,  so  that  you  can  enjoy  all  these 
riches. ' '  And  after  consulting  further  with  the 
commodore  and  his  wife,  and  advising  them 
how  to  prepare  for  the  journey,  he  took  his 
leave. 

The  excitement  attendant  upon  the  prepara- 
tions for  so  long  a  journey  had  an  excellent 
effect  upon  Bertha's  health  ;  so  when  the  day 
came  for  saying  good  by  to  her  dear  old  home, 
and  taking  the  carriage  for  the  pier  from  which 
they  were  to  start,  she  did  it  bravely,  and  showed 
such  physical  vigor  that  both  her  father  and 
mother  stepped  upon  the  ship  with  lighter  and 
happier  hearts  than  they  had  known  for  many 
days. 


XIV. 

A  NTHONY  BOGGS  directed  his  coachman 
to  take  him  directly  to  a  certain  solicitor, 
whose  oflSce  was  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city. 

Here  he  arranged  with  the  lawyer  to  get  Ben's 
discharge  from  the  Island. 

"  Make  all  possible  haste,"  said  Boggs,  "for 
there  is  no  time  to  be  lost. ' ' 

"  You  shall  be  obeyed,  sir,"  was  the  response. 

"  And  have  him  taken  to  your  office,  and  kept 
there  till  you  receive  further  orders  from  me." 

"  I  understand  your  wishes  perfectly." 

"  Of  course,  if  you  hear  from  me  before  he  is 
brought  from  the  Island,  you  will  act  on  my 
latest  advice,  and  take  him  wherever  I  direct." 

"Certainly." 

"  Very  well,  then,  I  will  rely  upon  you,"  said 
Boggs,  as  he  hurried  from  the  room. 

He  now  drove  to  one  of  the  docks  on  the  East 
River,  beside  which  lay  a  large,  handsome  ship, 
and  quickly  leaving  his  carriage  went  aboard. 

Everything  was  bustle  and  confusion  ;  sailors 
and  stevedores  were  hurrying  hither  and  thither, 
loading  the  vessel  and  making  ready  for  a  start. 
91 


92  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"You  are  just  in  time,  Anthony,  to  see  me 
again  before  starting,"  said  a  large,  dark  com- 
plexioned  man,  with  easy  famiHarity. 

This  was  the  captain  of  the  ship,  and  his  manner 
indicated  that  he  and  his  visitor  were  old  friends. 
Caleb  Steel  was  his  name. 

"  I  am  glad  I  am  not  too  late,"  answered  Boggs 
nervously. 

"  So  am  I ;  but  tell  me,  old  fellow,  what  excites 
you  so  much. ' ' 

' '  I  was  afraid  I  would  not  be  in  time  to  catch 
you,  and  I  have  been  hurrying." 

"  Well,  the  time  is  limited,  for  a  fact." 

"  Why,  how  soon  do  you  sail?  "  asked  Boggs, 
now  fearing  that  he  might  be  too  late  to  accom- 
plish the  purpose  he  had  in  view. 

"  Well,  about  two  hours  from  now  I'll  be  say- 
ing good  by  to  New  York. ' ' 

"  Couldn't  you  delay  starting  for  an  hour  or  so 
longer,  to  accommodate  me,  if  I  need  the  time?  " 
asked  Boggs. 

"What,  old  fellow,  do  you  want  to  come  with 
me?" 

' '  No,  not  exactly  myself,  but  I  want  you  to  do 
me  a  favor. ' ' 

"  You  can  rely  upon  me  to  do  Anthony  Boggs 
a  favor  at  any  time,"  returned  the  captain. 

"  I  knew  I  could,  and  now  come  with  me  to 
your  cabin,  and  I  will  tell  you  what  I  want." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  93 

In  the  cabin  Boggs  went  on  to  say  : 

"  A  matter  that  has  annoyed  me  a  good  deal 
has  come  up  since  I  saw  you,  and  I  want  to  put 
a  stop  to  it  at  once.  It  is  so  foolish  in  itself  that 
I  don't  like  to  explain  it,  and  moreover  it  is  some- 
times delicate,  as  you  know,  to  talk  over  family 
matters  even  with  so  good  a  friend  as  I  know  you 
to  be  to  me.  Feeling,  then,  as  I  do,  I  know  that 
you  will  not  ask  me  for  my  motives  in  pursuing 
the  course  I  have  decided  upon." 

Caleb  Steel  was  quite  off  his  guard. 

"Certainly  not,"  said  he;  "Captain  Steel 
pry  into  a  friend's  family  affairs  !  Well,  I  guess 
not." 

Boggs  had  thrown  him  entirely  off  the  track  by 
his  adroit  deceit,  and  had  effectually  silenced  his 
curiosity  for  the  present. 

"  I  knew  you  would  spare  me  the  embarrass- 
ment, captain,  and  yet  be  equally  ready  to  do 
me  a  favor.  Some  men  have  so  little  regard  for 
others  that  their  curiosity  must  be  satisfied 
before  they  stir  an  inch,  but  not  so  with  Captain 
Steel." 

This  flattery  pleased  the  captain  greatly.  He 
was  conceited,  and  he  enjoyed  nothing  better 
than  having  his  conceit  tickled. 

"  You  are  right,  Anthony,  you  are  right ;  but 
tell  me  what  I  can  do  for  you,"  said  he. 

"  That  is  what  I  am  coming  to  now,"  returned 


94  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

the  schemer,  and  laying  his  hand  on  the  captain's 
shoulder,  lie  continued  : 

"I  have  sent  for  a  boy,  or  rather  sent  my 
attorney  to  bring  him  here  as  soon  as  possible. 
He  is  the  one  whose  association  with  my  family 
has  caused  all  my  uneasiness,  and  I  want  to  get 
him  out  of  the  way  before  his  evil  influence  pro- 
duces any  worse  results. ' ' 

This  was  most  effective  in  convincing  the 
captain  that  he  should  not  try  to  get  at  the  secret 
that  prompted  his  friend's  action.  On  the  con- 
trary, it  quite  satisfied  him  that  he  knew  well 
enough  already  what  the  nature  of  the  trouble 
must  be. 

"And  you  are  just  right  in  guarding  your 
family  and  keeping  Perry  away  from  bad  associa- 
tions. I  tell  you,  Anthony,  bad  company  will 
spoil  the  best  boy  in  the  world,"  said  Caleb  Steel, 
with  a  show  of  knowledge. 

"Yes,  I  know  that  only  too  well,"  said  the 
scheming  Boggs  sadly,  as  if  the  captain  had 
touched  upon  the  true  cause  of  his  sorrow,  while 
really  he  had  to  struggle  to  restrain  a  smile  of 
triumph  at  his  own  cunning  in  misleading  so 
effectually  the  one  to  whom  he  now  looked  for 
relief. 

' '  And  as  you  wish  to  get  him  out  of  the  way 
I  suppose  you  want  me  to  take  him,"  said  the 
captain. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  95 

"  Yes,  that  is  just  it.  I  hated  to  come  to  you, 
fearing  it  would  be  a  bother,  and  then  I  remem- 
bered what  you  told  me,  when  I  helped  you  out 
of  j^our  difl&culty,  about  doing  me  a  favor,  so  I 
decided  to  come. ' ' 

"  Well,  as  I  told  you  then,  nothing  in  reason 
would  be  too  much  trouble  for  me  to  do  it  for 
you,  so  you  can  bring  the  boy  on,  and  I  will  take 
him  as  you  wish,"  returned  the  master  of  the 
ship  heartily. 

"Thank  you  a  thousand  times,"  said  Boggs, 
taking  his  friend's  hand  in  his  own.  "I  knew 
you  would  say  yes,  and  wishing  to  show  you 
some  proof  of  my  appreciation  I  have  ordered 
sent  to  you  for  your  own  use  a  dozen  cases  of 
champagne  and  an  equal  amount  of  old  Ken- 
tucky whisky." 

This  statement  made  Caleb  Steel  very  happy, 
as  nothing  suited  him  better  than  for  his  friends 
to  show  their  appreciation  of  him  in  precisely 
this  way,  for  Caleb  was  not  a  teetotaler  either  in 
sentiment  or  practice  ;  anc  now  he  thanked  Boggs 
as  warmly  as  the  latter  thanked  him. 

"  By  the  way,  how  old  is  the  boy  ?  "  asked  the 
captain. 

'  *  Fourteen  or  fifteen,  I  should  say — old  enough 
to  work,  anyway,"  was  the  reply. 

' '  That  is  what  he  will  have  to  do  on  this 
ship." 


$6  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  And  that  is  what  he  should  do.  Understand 
me,  captain — I  have  no  tender  sentiment  about 
this  gamin  ;  "  and  he  again  placed  his  hand  on 
Caleb's  shoulder  and  winked  significantly. 

"  I  think  I  understand  you." 

' '  I  hope  you  do,  for  otherwise  you  might 
shield  him  from  the  dangerous  places,  thinking 
you  were  doing  me  a  favor,"  said  the  villainous 
schemer. 

"  Yes,  I  see,"  returned  the  master  of  the 
vessel  thoughtfully. 

"There  are  dangerous  places,  I  believe,  cap- 
tain, in  the  life  of  a  sailor." 

"Dangerous  places!  Well,  that  don't  half 
express  it. ' ' 

"  Just  so,  and  when  you  have  anything  very 
dangerous  to  be  done,  you  order  your  least  valu- 
able help  to  do  it,  I  suppose." 

' '  Why  should  you  think  so  ?  "  asked  the  cap- 
tain in  lieu  of  an  answer. 

"  Well,  you  see,  I  argued  that,  if  the  boy  who 
did  it  were  lost  overboard,  the  loss  to  you  would 
be  less,"  said  Boggs,  in  so  suggestive  a  manner 
that  his  meaning  was  clear  to  the  captain. 

"Why,  do  you  think  I  would  intentionally 
have  the  boy  drowned  ? ' '  asked  the  latter  in 
surprise. 

"  N-n-no,  I  didn't  say  that,  captain,  but — 
er-er — well,  of  course  I  would  not  want  you  to 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  97 

be  responsible  for  any  accident  that  might  befall 
him,  and  you  wouldn't  be,  either,  if  misfortune 
should  overtake  him  in  the  shape  of  an  accident ;  ' ' 
and  Boggs  looked  straight  at  the  captain,  and 
again  winked  in  the  same  suggestive  manner  as 
before, 

"I  understand  from  what  you  say,  and  your 
manner,  that  you  would  be  glad  if  the  boy  were 
never  to  return  home  again,"  rejoined  the  mas- 
ter of  the  ship. 

"You  understand  me  perfectly  now,  and  know- 
ing 3'ou  friendship  for  me,  I  shall  have  bright 
hopes  of  the  outcome. ' ' 

Caleb  Steel  paused  and  looked  down  to  the 
floor  in  deep  study.  Presently  he  was  interrupted 
by  the  mate,  who  said  he  was  wanted  in  another 
part  of  the  ship. 

"In  the  mean  time,"  said  Boggs,  "I  will  go 
and  get  the  boy,  and  return  as  quickly  as  pos- 
sible. Do  not  sail  till  I  get  the  boy  aboard  ; ' '  and 
he  hurried  to  his  carriage  and  drove  back  to  the 
solicitor's  office. 


XV. 


"\  1  rHILE  Boggs  was  on  the  ship  arranging  the 
more  important  details  of  his  plot,  his 
solicitor  was  busy  effecting  Ben's  release  from 
city  custody. 

At  the  Jefferson  Market  Police  Court  the  solici- 
tor got  the  lad's  discharge,  by  giving  bonds  to  the 
extent  of  three  hundred  dollars  as  a  guarantee  of 
Ben's  good  behavior  for  thirty  days. 

This  of  course  had  been  provided  for  by 
Boggs,  so  his  attorney  took  no  personal  risks  in 
the  matter.  The  discharge  paper  went  through 
its  regular  course  and  was  then  taken  to  the 
Island. 

The  solicitor  made  arrangements  to  have  Ben 
brought  immediately  to  his  ofl&ce  on  his  return  to 
the  city,  and  then  returned  to  his  sanctum  to 
await  further  orders  from  his  client. 

Soon  after  this  Boggs  came  in,  as  expected, 
and  was  fully  informed  of  all  that  had  been  done. 

"How  soon  will  he  be  here?"  asked  he 
anxiously,  for  every  minute  seemed  an  hour,  for 
it  was  nearly  time  for  the  ship  to  sail. 

"  I  am  expecting  him  now,"  was  the  response. 
98 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  99 

' '  Bi  iug  him  to  me  as  soon  as  be  comes — do  not 
trust  him  to  auj^  one,  but  come  yourself,"  com- 
manded the  scheming  villain. 

"Yes,  sir,  but — er " 

"  But  what  ?  "  interrupted  Boggs  peevishly,  as 
the  possibility  of  some  unexpected  delay  sug- 
gested itself  to  him, 

"  I  started  to  ask  you,  sir,  where  you  can  be 
found.  Without  knowing  this,  I  cannot  very 
well  take  the  boy  to  you,"  returned  the  attor- 
ney, with  a  tinge  of  sarcasm,  however  dangerous 
to  his  business  interests  it  might  prove. 

"Ah,  3'es,  I  forgot  that  !  Come  direct  to  the 
ship  Bertha  Hopkins,  on  the  East  River,  near 
Wall  Street — you  can  easily  find  her." 

"  You  will  be  on  board,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  in  the  captain's  stateroom." 

"  But  how  shall  I  explain  to  the  boy  why  I 
rush  him  aboard  that  ship  ?  ' ' 

' '  You  may  say  to  him  that  the  gentleman  who 
called  at  the  station  house  to  see  him,  and  who 
promised  to  be  present  at  the  trial  to  get  him 
free,  wants  to  see  him — that  he  is  spending  the 
day  with  the  captain  of  the  ship  Bertha  Hopkins, 
and  that  he  wants  to  see  him  at  once  on  his 
release  from  custody,  and  that  is  why  he  asks 
him  to  come  on  the  ship." 

Ben  was  most  agreeably  surprised  at  being 
returned  from  the  Island.     And  now,  when  he 


lOO  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

entered  the  solicitor's  office  and  learned  the  story 
of  his  release  from  the  island  of  city  justice,  his 
heart  went  out  to  his  benefactor,  and  he  con- 
demned himself  for  having  so  hastily  formed  a 
prejudice  against  him. 

So  instead  of  going  to  the  ship  with  a  feeling 
of  suspicion,  he  went  with  a  light  heart,  prepared 
to  thank  the  man,  over  and  over  again,  who  had 
done  so  much  for  him. 

"Oh,  what  a  pretty  ship,"  exclaimed  our 
young  friend  as  he  drew  near  the  Bertha  Hop- 
kins. "I  almost  wish  I  was  going  on  her 
myself. ' '  How  little  he  knew  then  of  the  plot 
that  was  being  sprung  upon  him  !  Could  he 
have  known  this,  and  the  wicked  purpose  of 
Boggs,  how  he  would  have  shunned  the  vessel  ! 

Just  ahead  of  him,  passing  up  the  gang  plank 
into  the  ship,  were  Commodore  Hopkins  and  wife 
and  daughter  and  nurse. 

Ben  eyed  them  critically,  and  thought  if  he 
were  a  sailor  on  that  ship  he  should  be  glad  to 
have  such  pleasant  looking  passengers.  He  had 
no  idea,  however,  of  being  a  sailor  then,  and 
gave  them  no  further  thought  for  the  present. 

The  solicitor  hurried  him  toward  the  captain's 
room. 

Now  Boggs  had  made  it  plain  to  the  master  of 
the  ship  that  Ben  must  be  betrayed  into  going  to 
sea  with  him. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  lOI 

In  justice  to  the  captain  I  will  record  the  fact 
that  he  did  not  take  kindly  to  this  idea,  and  yet 
he  disliked  to  offend  one  who  had  previously 
done  him  a  favor,  so  he  yielded  to  Boggs'  vil- 
lainous project. 

"  If  I  had  known  half  as  much  of  this  scheme 
as  I  do  now,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  would  have 
had  nothing  to  do  with  the  boy.  I  do  not  like 
smuggling  him  off  to  sea,  anyway.  Ten  chances 
to  one  it  will  bring  us  bad  luck,"  and  he  looked 
as  if  almost  persuaded  now  to  refuse  point  blank 
to  have  the  boy  come  into  the  ship.  Boggs 
noticed  this,  and  was  shrewd  enough  to  change 
his  tactics  at  once. 

He  had  been  trying  to  get  the  captain  to  take 
Ben  into  his  room,  and  thus  hold  him  till  after 
the  ship  had  got  well  to  sea,  but  the  latter's  atti- 
tude in  the  matter  had  changed  so  conspicuously 
that  he  decided  to  remain  aboard  the  ship  himself 
till  she  had  put  to  sea,  and  then  to  return  to  the 
city  on  the  tugboat  that  towed  her  down  the  Bay. 

Acting  on  this  plan,  he  left  the  master  of  the 
ship,  and  went  to  the  latter's  room,  where  he 
waited  alone  for  the  appearance  of  the  solicitor 
and  Ben. 

The  ship  was  nearly  ready  to  leave  the  pier  ; 
the  captain  was  busy  with  preparations  for  start- 
ing, and  was,  moreover,  not  in  the  mood  for 
further  discussion  of  the  boy's  future. 


I02  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Therefore  the  schemer  occupied  his  time  iu 
writing  a  letter  to  the  captain  which  showed  very 
clearl}'  his  wishes.  It  was  a  cruel  piece  of 
villainy,  that  urged  measures  regarding  our  young 
friend  which  for  the  present  I  forbear  to  give. 
And  before  this  letter  was  finished  he  was  inter- 
rupted by  the  arrival  of  his  solicitor  and  Ben. 
"  Here  is  your  young  friend,"  said  the  attorney 
as  they  stepped  into  the  room. 

Boggs  looked  up  nervously,  and  as  he  saw  the 
lad  before  him,  with  his  fine,  well  formed  features 
and  manly  appearance,  he  even  colored  with 
shame  at  his  own  villainy. 

Ben  had  expected  to  see  his  benefactor — the 
kind  gentleman  who  had  called  upon  him  at  the 
station  house  and  who  had  now  secured  his  release 
from  the  Island.  And  he  looked  at  the  solicitor 
questioningly,  as  much  as  to  say,  "This  is  not 
the  man.     Why  did  you  bring  me  here  ?  " 

"  Good  morning,  young  man,"  said  Boggs,  by 
way  of  opening  the  conversation. 

"Good  morning,  sir,"  said  Ben  suspiciously, 

"  I  am  afraid  you  thought  I  neglected  you  the 
morning  of  your  trial,  but  I  met  with  an  accident 
that  kept  me  from  being  present  as  I  promised 
you." 

"  As  you  promised  me  !  "  exclaimed  our  hero. 
"  When  did  you  promise  me  that  ?  " 

"Why,  in  the  station  house  when  I  called  to 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 03 

see  you  a  few  moruings  ago.  I  should  think  you 
would  remember  that." 

"I  do  remember  it,  sir,  but — er — well  you 
didu't  look  the  way  you  do  now." 

Boggs  grew  very  red  in  the  face.  He  had, 
through  his  excitement  and  anxiety,  forgotten 
.his  disguise  on  that  morning,  and  now  he  was 
caught  by  the  lad  in  this  piece  of  trickery. 

He  stammered  out  an  apology  for  an  explana- 
tion, which  was  too  transparent  to  deceive  Ben. 

The  latter  studied  his  face  carefully,  and  saw 
that  the  features  were  the  same  as  those  of  the 
man  who  called  upon  him  that  morning.  But  the 
man's  face,  as  it  now  appeared,  he  felt  sure  he 
had  seen  before  the  episode  of  the  jail. 

Boggs  questioned  him  about  the  Island,  and 
impressed  him  with  the  idea  that  he  had  had  very 
hard  work  to  secure  his  release,  but  he  added 
that  whatever  effort  he  had  put  forth  had  been 
done  cheerfully. 

Our  young  friend  thanked  him  sincerely  for  his 
assistance,  and  began  to  feel  very  kindly  toward 
him,  whoever  he  was. 

"  I  am  only  too  glad  that  I  could  help  you  out 
of  the  trouble,  for  you  did  not  get  fair  play.  As 
I  told  you  before,  the  other  boy  was  responsible, 
for  he  commenced  the  fight. ' ' 

This  was  an  unfortunate  remark  for  Boggs,  for 
it  suggested  a  new  train  of  thought  to  Ben. 


1 


I ©4  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"Yes,  but  the  judge  would  not  believe  me," 
said  lie  abstractedly,  and  he  looked  sharply  at  the 
man  before  him. 

"Perry  Boggs  commenced  the  trouble,"  he 
said  to  himself.  "Boggs,  Boggs,"  he  repeated 
several  times  over — ah,  that  name  kindles  anew 
his  memory,  and  starting  from  the  scene  in  front* 
of  the  "White  Elephant,"  where  he  first  learned 
Perry's  full  name,  he  followed  the  trail  back  in 
his  thought  till  he  came  to  the  carriage  at  the 
Star  Theater. 

And  here  he  sees  Perry,  his  father,  and  the  kind 
hearted  lady  just  as  he  saw  them  on  that  eventful 
night. 

He  compares  the  pictures  in  his  mind  with  the 
man  actually  before  him,  and  starts  back  with  a 
.sense  of  alarm  as  the  fact  dawns  upon  him  that 
his  supposed  benefactor  is  no  other  than  Perry's 
father. 


XVI. 

A  GUILTY  couscience  is  al\va5's  alive  to  dan- 
"^"^  ger,  always  watchful,  suspicious,  auxious  ; 
thus  Boggs  followed  every  look  and  act  of  Ben 
with  keen,  nervous  eyes. 

So  when  the  latter  stared  back  with  alarm  at 
his  sudden  discovery,  the  wily  villain  instantly 
knew  the  meaning.  He  read  the  lad's  very 
thoughts — thoughts  that  made  him  turn  pale  at 
the  mere  suggestion  of  his  own  rascality. 

But  he  had  been  too  long  accustomed  to  evil  to 
easily  lose  his  presence  of  mind,  and  now  he 
showed  a  deep  knowledge  of  human  nature  by 
skilfully  hurling  Ben's  discovery  back  upon  him. 

"  You  act  as  if  you  had  made  some  startling 
discovery,"  said  he,  looking  the  lad  sharply  in 
the  face. 

Boggs'  bold  assurance  threw  Ben  somewhat  off 
his  guard,  and  tended  to  embarrass  him,  as  if  he 
had  done  some  unbecoming  act. 

"  Yes,"  he  faltered  in  reply. 

"Then  it  is  very  startling,"  pursued  Boggs, 
vigorously  taking  advantage  of  the  lad's  embar- 
rassment— "  startling  that  I  should  go  your  bail 
105 


lo6  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

and  make  all  the  effort  to  get  you  away  from  the 
Island — startling,  and  why  ?  Simply  because  you 
think  perhaps  you  have  seen  me  before,  or  some 
other  nonsense  ?  " 

Ben  was  figuratively  driven  into  a  corner,  and 
did  not  know  what  to  say  for  himself.  He  had 
been  attacked  in  a  way  that  he  little  expected, 
and  for  a  time  could  think  of  no  suitable  reply. 
But  soon  his  self  possession  came  to  him  again, 
and  knowing  he  was  right  he  said,  somewhat 
sharply  : 

"I  don't  think  I  was  surprised  at  nonsense, 
sir.  It  was  because  I  just  remembered  where  I 
saw  you  first. ' ' 

' '  And  where  was  that  ?  ' '  asked  Boggs,  while 
he  dreaded  the  answer. 

' '  It  was  in  Union  Square  a  few  nights  ago,  and 
later  in  the  evening  as  you  came  out  of  the  Star 
Theater,"  answered  the  lad,  now  making  his 
enemy  wince  and  grow  very  red  in  the  face. 

' '  I  suppose  you  are  sure  of  that  ?  ' ' 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  am  sure  of  it." 

' '  What  if  you  did  see  me  ?  ' ' 

"Simply  seeing  you  there  didn't  amount  to 
anything. ' ' 

' '  What  do  you  mean  by  '  simply  seeing  me '  ?  " 

"I  should  think  you  would  know  without 
asking." 

* '  Why  so  ?  " 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  107 

"  Do  you  remember  what  you  said  to  me  in 
the  station  house  about  seeing  the  fuss  between 
Perry  Boggs  and  me  ?  ' ' 

' '  Yes,  but  what  of  that  ?  ' ' 

' '  You  saw  us,  did  you  ? ' ' 

"  Yes,  I  said." 

"And  then  told  me  afterward  that  Perry — 
your  son ' ' 

"My  son!" 

"Yes,  sir  ;  your  son,  or  the  chap  you  called 
son. ' ' 

"  You  must  be  crazy." 

"No,  I'm  not  crazy.  I  heard  you  call  him 
your  son,  and  saw  you  try  to  get  him  into  your 
carriage  after  the  theater.  And  I  saw  you  drive 
off,  too,  with  a  lady,  so  I  can't  understand  how 
you  could  see  Perry  and  me,"  said  the  lad  firmly. 

It  seemed  now  Ben's  turn  to  drive  his  enemy 
into  the  corner,  and  he  did  it  so  successfully  that 
Boggs  appeared  staggered  by  the  boy's  boldness. 

But  he  was  a  crafty  villain,  and  he  did  not 
allow  himself  to  lose  his  temper  at  so  critical  a 
moment  ;  so,  however  disagreeable  this  catechis- 
ing, he  submitted  as  best  he  could,  that  Ben 
might  continue  to  be  absorbed  in  the  subject. 

He  even  managed  the  conversation  so  that  it 
grew  more  and  more  spirited,  and  thus  the  time 
passed  till  the  ship  had  cleared  tlie  dock,  and 
Boggs  had  gained  his  point. 


loS  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

A  heavy  lurch  of  the  vessel  was  now  felt,  and 
the  solicitor  jumped  up  with  an  alarmed  look, 
and  grabbed  the  door  knob. 

"Come  back  to  3-our  seat,"  demanded  Boggs 
roughl}^  and  the  solicitor  obej^ed  meekly. 

"  But  I  felt  the  ship  roll,"  he  faltered  apolo- 
getically. 

"  Nonsense,  you  are  dreaming." 

' '  Well,  I  felt  it  move,  and  I  am  not  dreaming," 
put  in  Ben. 

"  Something  probably  fell  and  jarred  it,  then," 
answered  Boggs. 

The  lad  felt  uneasy,  and  as  if  some  conspiracy 
were  on  foot ;  but  it  did  not  at  first  occur  to  him 
that  he  was  in  danger  of  being  taken  to  sea,  so 
long  as  Boggs  and  the  solicitor  remained  on 
board. 

And  suppose  he  had  realized  it,  what  could  he 
have  done? 

He  might  have  protested,  to  be  sure,  but  he 
was  yet  practically  a  prisoner — only  out  of  jail  by 
being  under  a  bond  for  good  behavior,  and  thus 
Boggs  actually  had  him  in  his  power,  for  at  will 
he  could  have  sent  him  back  to  the  Island. 

But  now  the  solicitor's  feeling  of  alarm  spread 
to  Ben,  who  felt  the  motion  of  the  ship  as  if  she 
were  moving  through  the  water,  and  for  the  first 
time  the  thought  of  a  compulsory  sea  voyage 
occurred  to  him.     A  shudder  passed  over  him  at 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 09 

this  prospect,  and  then  he  determined  to  find  out 
if  it  were  alread}-  too  late  to  get  ashore. 

Accordingly  he  made  a  move  for  the  door,  but 
was  prevented  from  reaching  it  by  Boggs,  who 
suddenly  sprang  before  him  and  placed  himself 
against  it. 

"I  want  5-0U  to  let  me  out,"  said  Ben  in- 
dignantly. 

' '  Is  that  so  ?  "  returned  Boggs  sneeringly. 

This  fnade  the  fire  show  in  the  lad's  eyes. 

"  Ves,  it  is  so,"  he  answered  in  a  most 
determined  tone. 

"Well,  I  won't,"  was  the  reply. 

"You  are  a  cowardl}-  villain,  and  this  proves 
it,"  said  the  boj'^  boldly. 

"  Be  careful  what  you  say,"  replied  Boggs 
savageh',  for  his  temper  had  now  come  to  the 
front. 

"  You  have  smuggled  me  aboard  this  ship  to 
get  me  away  from  Xew  York.  Perhaps  you  are 
afraid  I  will  get  after  that  dude  son  of  yours 
again." 

Boggs  made  no  reph*  to  this,  only  he  looked 
ver}'  ugly. 

' '  And  perhaps  before  I  get  through  with  you 
I  may  find  out  another  reason  for  j'our  wanting 
to  get  me  out  of  the  way, ' '  continued  the  lad. 

This  thrust  made  Boggs  wince  so  noticeably 
that  Ben  remarked  the  effect  with  surprise.     He 


no  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

had  spoken  at  random,  as  it  were,  but  the  words 
touched  the  schemer  on  a  tender  spot. 

At  this  moment  the  captain  entered  his  room 
and  looked  sharply  at  Ben. 

"Well,  captain,  here  he  is,"  said  Boggs  in  a 
confused  manner,  as  he  pointed  to  Ben. 

"  So  I  see,"  returned  the  officer,  with  a  dark 
look. 

"  I  will  turn  him  over  to  your  care  now,"  said 
Boggs,  as  if  he  had  authority  to  do  with  Ben  as 
he  chose. 

"  But  he  has  no  right  to  turn  me  over  to  5'ou, 
captain,  or  to  any  one  else,"  said  our  hero  indig- 
nantly. 

"Enough  of  that,  youngster,"  said  the  cap- 
tain, in  a  severe  tone,  that  fairly  froze  the  lad's 
spirits. 

He  saw  that  it  was  useless  to  protest  further. 
He  had  been  ensnared  by  Boggs  and  his  solicitor, 
and  now  must  make  the  best  of  his  situation. 

The  captain  called  one  of  his  mates,  and  taking 
him  aside,  talked  so  low  that  Ben  could  not  make 
out  what  was  said.  That  the  conversation  was 
about  himself  he  felt  sure  by  their  manner,  and 
he  strained  his  ears  to  try  and  catch  a  few 
words. 

Presently  the  mate  turned  to  him  and  said, 
"  Come  with  me,  my  lad,"  and  our  hero  followed 
him,   leaving  Boggs,  the  solicitor,   and  Captain 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 1 1 

Steel  alone  in  the  stateroom.  This  was  the 
boy's  real  separation  from  the  land — from  old 
New  York,  and  from  every  one  he  had  ever 
known. 

What  a  sickening  sensation  crept  over  him  as 
he  thought  of  this,  and  then  of  the  dangers  of  the 
sea  and  the  cruel  treatment  he  would  perhaps 
receive  ! 

At  first  he  felt  very  bitter  toward  Boggs,  who, 
by  his  treachery,  had  brought  him  there,  but  now 
he  was  more  sick  at  heart  than  otherwise,  and  for 
the  moment  too  greatly  depressed  to  feel  a  just 
sense  of  indignation  at  the  gross  wrongs  that  had 
been  done  to  him. 

The  mate,  in  whose  charge  he  had  been  placed, 
informed  him  that  he  must  act  as  cabin  boy,  and 
that  meant  that  he  must  wait  upon  the  officers 
and  passengers  of  the  ship. 

These  are  the  chief  duties  of  a  cabin  boy,  but 
sometimes  other  service  is  thrust  upon  him,  as 
Ben  learned  to  his  sorrow. 

Off  Sandy  Hook,  Boggs  and  the  solicitor  left 
the  ship  and  got  aboard  the  tug  that  had  towed 
the  Bertha  Hopkins  from  port ;  in  this  way  they 
returned  to  New  York — the  one  going  to  his 
barren  law  ofl&ce,  and  the  other  to  his  rich  home 
on  Fifth  Avenue. 

Just  before  they  left  the  ship,  Boggs  handed  .a 
letter  to  the  captain  which  he  had  written  in  the 


1 1 2  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

latter' s  cabin,  and  which  contained  some  very 
plain  suggestions  regarding  Ben — suggestions  of 
so  wicked  a  nature  that  he  feared  the  master  of 
the  ship  might  rebel,  even  now,  against  taking 
the  lad  with  him,  had  he  personally  urged  the 
points  contained  in  this  letter. 


XVII. 

"DEN  saw  Boggs  and  the  solicitor  climb  aboard 
^  the  tug,  and  watched  the  little  boat  with 
intense  interest  as  it  turned  around  and  steamed 
away  for  home. 

How  he  wished  himself  aboard  of  her  to  be 
taken  back  to  New  York,  where  he  could  make 
known  Boggs'  rascally  acts  ! 

He  felt  sure  that  Mr.  Montgomery  would  help 
him  in  this,  and  would  do  everything  possible  to 
secure  the  villain's  punishment. 

And  this  thought  reminded  him  that  he  had 
not  let  Mr.  Montgomery  know  anything  of  his 
whereabouts. 

"  If  I  had  only  done  so,"  he  said  to  himself 
sorrowfully,  ' '  he  might  have  kept  me  out  of 
Boggs'  clutches,  and  now  I  wouldn't  be  in  this 
great  ship  bound  for,  I  don't  know  where — per- 
haps the  bottom  of  the  ocean. ' ' 

"The  bottom  of  the  ocean."  He  repeated 
these  words  with  a  shudder.  How  he  wished 
there  was  yet  some  way  for  him  to  escape  ! 

Greater  and  greater  the  distance  grew  between 
himself  and  the  little  tug.  He  watched  her  with 
an  intense  eagerness,  while  the  idea  of  escaping 
113 


114  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

from  the  ship  took,  every  minute,  a  firmer  hold 
upon  him. 

"  I  was  smuggled  on  here,  any  way,  and  am 
under  no  obligations  to  remain,  so  I  will  leave 
the  very  first  chance  I  get,  and  go  back  to  New 
York." 

This  was  a  very  easy  resolution  to  form,  and 
quite  a  natural  one,  under  the  circumstances  ; 
but  to  put  it  into  effect  meant  much  more  than 
he  imagined. 

He  formed,  however,  several  hasty  plans,  one 
of  which  was  to  slip  away  from  the  ship  at  her 
first  stopping  place  ;  but  this  did  not  promise 
very  well  for  him,  as  he  afterward  learned,  for 
the  captain  did  not  intend  making  port  till  he 
reached  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

Now  the  tug  had  entirely  disappeared  from 
view,  and  no  longer  was  there  a  bit  of  land 
within  the  reach  of  his  eye. 

The  sky  was  overcast,  and  a  thick  fog  that 
settled  upon  them  hastened  the  darkness. 

He  was  called  upon  for  this  and  that — work 
that  naturally  falls  upon  the  cabin  boy. 

These  duties  he  performed  gladly,  as  the 
employment  drew  his  mind  from  himself. 

Presently  the  captain  sent  for  him  to  do  some 
work  in  his  cabin.  Ben  was  nervous,  and  fast 
becoming  very  dizzy  from  the  motion  of  the 
ship,    which    was   now    pitching   and    tumbling 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 15 

more   than   was   altogether   good   for   the   lad's 
stomach. 

Consequently  he  did  not  catch  the  captain's 
ideas  as  quickly  as  the  latter  thought  he  should, 
and  being  already  provoked  that  the  boy  was 
forced  upon  him  he  fired  up  at  the  slightest  pre- 
text, and  pushed  him  roughly  against  a  chest, 
saying  : 

' '  You  landlubber  !  Don't  you  know  anything  ?' ' 

"  I  tried  to  do  the  best  I  could,  sir,"  replied 
Ben  timidly. 

' '  Do  you  call  this  the  best  you  can  do  ?  If  so, 
you'd  better  throw  yourself  overboard,  and  then 
I'd  be  rid  of  j'ou. " 

And  he  said  this  as  only  an  ugly  sea  captain, 
w^ho  is  absolute  monarch  of  his  ship,  can  speak. 

' '  The  work  is  new  to  me, ' '  the  lad  ventured  to 
reply. 

' '  You  ought  to  know  enough  to  do  it  if  it  is. ' ' 

"  I  shall  try  to  please  you,  captain,"  faltered 
Ben,  as  he  reeled  and  fell  heavily  against  the 
captain's  bunk,  from  the  sickness  that  had  now 
got  the  better  of  him. 

Captain  Steel  now  realized  the  cause  of  the  lad's 
awkwardness,  and  he  actually  felt  a  tinge  of 
regret  that  he  had  been  so  hard  upon  him. 

He  stepped  to  his  cabin  door  for  some  one  to 
take  the  boy  away.  At  that  moment  the  boat- 
swain happened  to  be  passing. 


il6  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  Here,  boatswain,  take  charge  of  this  boy  till 
he  gets  over  this  sickness,  and  get  him  out  of  my 
cabin,"  said  the  master  of  the  ship. 

The  sturdy  sailor  obeyed  at  once,  and  removed 
Ben  from  the  captain's  room  to  his  bunk. 

Ben  was  deathly  sick. 

"  Don't  mind  it,  lad,"  said  the  old  tar  encourag- 
ingly ;  "  you  will  soon  feel  better." 

"I  hope  so,"  returned  Ben  feebly,  but  most 
thankful  for  these  kind  words. 

"  Boys  are  most  always  sick,  but  it  does  them 
good  in  the  end,"  the  sailor  continued. 

Ben  made  no  reply  to  this — he  was  much  too 
busy  just  at  that  instant. 

"I  knew  it,"  laughed  the  sailor  good  na- 
turedly. 

"Well,  I'm  feeling  a  thousand  times  better, 
any  way,"  answered  Ben,  after  a  few  moments. 

"  Of  course  you  are,  but  you're  not  off  watch 
yet." 

"  I  don't  understand  you." 

"  I  mean  you've  not  got  your  legs  yet." 

"  Let  me  see,"  said  Ben,  and  he  stood  upon  his 
feet — only  for  an  instant,  however,  for  he  seemed 
to  get  the  impression,  and  he  got  it  without 
apparent  delay,  that  standing  was  not  becoming 
to  him. 

Doubtless  he  was  right  in  this  conclusion. 
There  are  times,  I  have  observed,  when  men — 


AFIvOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  II7 

big,  broad  shouldered  fellows,  too — feel  the 
same  way — feel  so  all  the  way  down  to  their  boot 
straps. 

There  was  something,  however,  about  the  situa- 
tion that  pleased  the  boatswain,  and  he  laughed 
the  laugh  of  a  jolly  sea  dog. 

Such  levity  on  the  part  of  the  sailor  might  not 
have  seemed  to  Ben  quite  the  proper  thing.  But 
it  is  certain  that  he  offered  no  remonstrance — he 
hadn't  the  time,  then,  for  discussing  fine  points  of 
etiquette,  for  again  he  was  devoting  his  entire 
attention  to  himself,  and  with  a  good  deal  of 
vigor,  too.  In  fact,  it  seemed  to  him  he  had 
never  before  been  so  diligent  in  all  his  life. 

"If  it's  all  the  same  to  you,  I  won't  walk 
around  any,"  said  he  comically,  when  he  thought 
it  safe  to  venture  a  sentence  of  this  length. 

"No,  I  guess  you  won't,  lad,"  laughed  the 
boatswain. 

"Then  I'll  make  myself  as  comfortable  as  I 
can." 

"  There  ain't  much  fun  for  you  tonight  on  the 
Bertha  " — he  called  the  ship  this  for  short. 

"  No,  it  don't  seem  much  like  fun,"  returned 
Ben. 

"  Well,  lad,  don't  mind  it.  If  you're  going  to 
be  a  sea  dog,  you'll  get  used  to  hard  knocks." 

"  But  I'm  not  going  to  be  a  sailor." 

' '  Not  going  to  be  a  sailor  ?  ' ' 


Il8  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  No. ' ' 

"  What  are  you  here  for,  then?  " 

"  'Cause  I  was  smuggled  aboard." 

' '  Smuggled  aboard  ! ' '  exclaimed  the  boatswain, 
and  he  gave  a  low,  expressive  whistle. 

"Yes,"  reasserted  Ben. 

"How  did  it  happen?" 

The  lad  explained,  while  the  old  sailor  listened 
with  rapt  attention. 

' '  You  say  he  and  the  old  man  acted  like 
friends  ? ' ' 

' '  You  mean  the  captain  ?  ' ' 

"Yes." 

' '  Yes,  they  did,  and  the  captain  called  him 
Anthony,  as  if  they  were  old  friends." 

"There's  something  wrong  here,  you  may 
depend  upon  it,"  said  the  sailor  thoughtfully. 

"  The  captain  was  ugly  to  me  in  his  cabin,  and 
because  I  didn't  quite  suit  him  he  said  something 
about  my  throwing  myself  overboard,  and  then 
he  would  be  rid  of  me." 

"  'Pears  as  if  he  don't  want  you,  then." 

"  If  he  don't  why  did  he  smuggle  me  on  here?" 

"Perhaps  the  other  man  had  a  hand  in  the 
pie." 

"So  he  did." 

' '  lyikely  enough  he  wanted  to  get  you  out  of 
the  way  for  something." 

"  I  don't  see  what  it  could  be." 


AFLOAT  IX  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 19 

"There  might  be  a  heap  of  reasons,  and  if 
you're  smart  you'll  follow  him  till  you  find  out. 
I  like  your  cut,  lad,  and  you  can  depend  upon 
Dan  Spiker  for  a  lift  in  furlin'  that  villain's 
.sails.  I've  knocked  about  these  twenty  3'ears, 
and  seen  a  great  deal  of  cusseduess  off  and  on  in 
my  time. 

"Depend  upon  it,  I  say,  there  is  somethiu' 
crooked  with  this  Boggs.  And  you  say  he  is 
rich,  and  lives  on  the  swell  avenue  in  New 
York?" 

"  Yes  ;  he  lives  on  Fifth  Avenue,  and  seems  to 
be  a  rich  man. ' ' 

The  sailor  made  no  reply,  but  whistled  softly, 
as  seemed  to  be  his  custom  when  thinking  closely. 


XVIII. 

"DEX  felt  he  had  made  a  frieud  in  Dau  Spiker, 
who  would  stand  by  him  while  on  the  ship. 
He  had  told  him  as  much,  and  his  honest,  big 
hearted  manner  convinced  the  lad  of  his  sincer- 
ity. Feeling  thus  assured  of  the  boatswain's  true 
friendship,  Ben  was  less  gloomy  than  before. 

For  the  captain  he  felt  a  strong  dislike,  as  he 
had  good  reasons  for  doing  ;  but  this  was  of  little 
importance  in  comparison  with  the  bitter  senti- 
ment he  now  felt  toward  Boggs. 

The  conversation  with  Dan  Spiker  suggested 
a  new  train  of  thought  to  Ben.  In  fact,  he  had 
not  examined  into  Boggs'  motives  for  spiriting 
him  away,  but  now,  as  he  argued  the  matter  to 
himself,  he  saw  that  the  latter  must  have  had 
some  strong  purpose  in  getting  him  away  from 
New  York. 

"  He  shall  suffer  for  this  villainy  if  it  takes  me 
all  my  life  to  get  square  with  him,"  said  Ben  to 
himself  with  determination. 

And  then  he  wondered  again  and  again  what 
mystery  connected  him  with  Anthony  Boggs. 
That   there  was  something  of  the  kind  he  felt 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  12  i 

fully  convinced,  and  he  determined  to  unravel  it. 

The  next  morning  he  awoke  possessed  of  a 
ravenous  appetite,  and  feeling  the  perfection  of 
health. 

"Good  morning,  lad,"  said  Dan  Spiker,  when 
Ben  appeared  on  deck.  "You  look  like  a  new 
boy." 

"  Well,  I  feel  like  one,  too — new  all  through," 
returned  Ben. 

"  Read  this,"  said  the  boatswain,  pointing  to  a 
small  notice  in  a  copy  of  the  New  York  Herald, 
which  he  drew  from  his  pocket. 

Our  hero  ran  his  eye  over  it,  and  the  color 
faded  from  his  cheeks. 

' '  After  what  you  told  me  last  night  I  thought 
it  might  mean  3'OU,"  said  Dan,  referring  to  the 
notice. 

' '  I  think  it  does,"  answered  the  lad,  with  a  very 
puzzled  look. 

"  What  does  it  mean?  " 

"I  don't  know." 

' '  Do  you  know  Artemas  Diggs,  the  man  whose 
name  is  printed  here  ?  " 

' '  No  ;  I  never  heard  of  him  before. ' ' 

"  If  it  means  you  it's  curious  what  he  wants." 

"I  can't  tell  nor  can't  guess  who  he  is." 
And  now  Ben  opened  the  paper, and  looking  upon 
the  first  page  saw,  to  his  intense  surprise,  the 
big  headlines  announcing  Mother  Grimrais'  death. 


122  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

This  was  the  first  intimatiou  he  had  had  of  the 
affair,  and  to  say  that  he  was  greatly  surprised — 
startled  even — would  but  faintly  express  his  real 
feelings.  "A  probable  murder,"  and  he  read 
the  line  over  several  times,  as  if  to  be  sure  of 
his  own  senses. 

"Are  you  growing  sick  again,  lad?"  asked 
Dan,  as  he  noticed  the  boy's  pale  face. 

"  No — er — but  I  can't  understand  this  matter." 

The  sailor  understood  him  to  refer  to  the 
notice,  and  Ben  was  glad  he  construed  his  words 
in  this  way,  for  he  felt  that  his  situation  was  a 
delicate  one — so  delicate  that  he  dare  not  make  a 
confidant  of  any  one  at  present. 

"  Mother  Grim  mis  dead,"  said  he  to  himself, 
"  murdered  probably,  and  some  one  advertising 
for  me — some  one  I  never  heard  of,  a  detective, 
maybe  ;  who  knows  ?  ' ' 

This  view  of  the  case  startled  him. 

"Perhaps  I'm  suspected  of  being  the  mur- 
derer," he  continued,  and  the  thought  made  the 
cold  perspiration  start. 

Brutal  as  the  old  woman  had  been  to  him,  he 
felt  a  degree  of  sadness  at  her  sudden  death,  for 
she  had  made  for  him  the  only  home  he  ever 
knew. 

And  now  she  had  gone,  he  felt  more  alone  than 
ever.  The  secrets  concerning  his  early  life,  which 
she  knew,  were  buried  with  her. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  123 

' '  Oue  thing  is  sure, ' '  said  he  to  himself,  by  way 
of  consolation,  "  if  the  officers  are  hunting  for 
me,  I'm  better  off  on  this  ship  than  I  would  be  in 
New  York. ' ' 

He  had  already  spent  some  time  in  Commodore 
Hopkins'  staterooms,  helping  the  latter  arrange 
things  for  the  voyage.  Ben  found  him  very  kind 
and  social ;  but  what  pleased  him  far  more  than 
all  this  was  the  appearance  of  another — a  sweet 
young  girl  of  about  his  own  age,  the  commodore's 
daughter — Bertha  Hopkins. 

She  had  watched  him  with  much  interest  as 
he  did  his  work.  Now  and  again  she  asked  him 
some  question  which  he  answered  timidly. 

There  was  something  odd  about  being  addressed 
by  such  a  pretty  girl — odd  indeed  for  him — for  in 
his  rough  life  he  had  never  spoken  to  one  of 
Bertha's  station. 

He  knew  nothing  of  girl  life,  and  like  all  boys 
growing  up  as  he  had,  without  their  association, 
felt  a  prejudice  against  them,  though  if  asked  to 
define  this  prejudice  he  could  have  given  no  good 
cause. 

However  much  .Ben's  mind  might  have  been 
warped  in  this  way,  it  is  certain,  judging  from 
late  developments,  that  he  made  at  least  oue 
exception  to  this  rule  ;  for  as  he  became  better 
acquainted  with  Bertha,  he  constantly  planned  to 
spend  as  much  time  as  possible  in  her  presence. 


XIX. 

T  T  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  story  to  recite  the 
unimportant  events  that  occurred  on  board 
the  Bertha  Hopkins  farther  than  is  reall)'  neces- 
sary that  the  reader  may  get  the  true  coloring  of 
the  narrative. 

Incidents,  however,  which  in  themselves  seem 
trivial  and  commonplace,  often  grow  in  import- 
ance when  connected  with  later  developments. 

My  purpose  is  to  bring  together  the  various 
incidents  in  the  life  of  our  hero,  and  to  arrange 
them  so  that  the  real  bearing  of  one  upon  the 
other,  and  of  each  upon  all,  will  be  easily  recog- 
nized by  every  one  who  follows  Ben  through  his 
strange  career. 

During  the  first  ten  days  of  the  lad's  sea  life 
nothing  extraordinary  occurred. 

In  this  time,  however,  he  became  well 
acquainted  with  all  on  board,  except  the  captain, 
and  the  more  he  saw  of  him  the  less  he  felt  he 
knew  of  him. 

Through  Dan  Spiker,  the  boatswain,  the  crew 
learned  that  Ben  had  been  mysteriously  smuggled 
aboard  and  forced  into  becoming  cabin  bo5'. 
124 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 25 

And  this  fact  gave  them  a  natural  sympathy 
for  him.  Besides  this,  however,  they  liked  him 
for  his  generous  nature  and  agreeable  manner. 
Therefore,  he  speedily  became  a  favorite  with 
sailors  and  officers  alike — all  except  one,  the 
captain. 

The  latter  was  severe,  and  sometimes  almost 
cruel  in  his  treatment  of  the  boy. 

Commodore  Hopkins,  much  of  whose  life  had 
been  spent  upon  the  sea,  knew  thoroughly  the 
difference  between  proper  discipline  and  abuse. 
He  had  noticed  repeatedly  the  way  Captain  Steel 
treated  our  hero,  and  he  felt  sorry  for  him,  and 
much  annoyed  that  the  master  of  the  ship  was 
capable  of  such  cruelty. 

Thus  it  happened  one  day,  when  the  captain 
was  unusually  abusive  to  Ben,  that  the  merchant, 
for  such  was  Commodore  Hopkins,  approached 
unobserved  and  overheard  the  most  vigorous  por- 
tion of  the  tirade. 

"Captain,"  said  he  indignantly,  and  with  a 
depth  of  meaning,  "this  abuse  has  gone  far 
enough.  This  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  noticed 
it  ;  and  while  I  dislike  to  meddle  with  the  captain 
of  a  ship,  yet  common  humanity  forces  me  to 
speak  in  behalf  of  this  lad." 

Caleb  Steel,  the  captain,  grew  very  red  in  the 
face.  Instantl}'  his  temper  was  at  boiling  point, 
and  his  pride  was  deeply  cut. 


126  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"The  discipline  of  this  ship  belongs  to  me,  sir, 
I  believe,"  said  he,  as  soon  as  he  recovered  from 
the  surprise  caused  by  this  rebuke, 

' '  Discipline  ! ' '  exclaimed  Commodore  Hopkins. 
"  Is  that  what  you  call  it?  " 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  I  said,' '  doggedly  came  the 
answer. 

"  Then  if  such  abuse  as  this  is  j^our  idea  of 
discipline,  you  shall  never  discipline  another 
crew  on  my  ships,"  returned  the  merchant 
firmly. 

This  was  a  forcible  argument  to  Caleb,  for  the 
very  thought  of  losing  his  place,  after  all  these 
years  of  hard  work,  gave  him  a  sickening  sensa- 
tion, and  he  humbled  himself  before  the  owner  of 
the  ship  sufficiently  to  apologize  for  his  treatment 
of  Ben. 

He  was  a  coward  at  heart,  as  bullies  usually 
are,  and  therefore  was  easily  cowed. 

"  He  does  nothing  as  he  ought  to,"  said  Steel 
falsely,  referring  to  the  lad,  hoping  by  this  remark 
to  put  himself  in  a  more  favorable  light. 

"  Even  if  that  is  so,  it  does  not  warrant  such 
cruelty  ;  and,  moreover,  the  boy  has  done  every- 
thing for  me  with  unusual  intelligence,"  returned 
the  commodore  ;  '  *  but  in  my  rooms  he  is  treated 
kindly." 

The  last  part  of  this  sentence  had  a  sarcastic 
rinsf  to  it  that  made  Steel  wince. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  12/ 

But,  regardless  of  his  own  bitter  feelings,  he 
felt  there  was  but  one  card  for  him  to  play,  and 
that  one  was  marked  "policy."  Consequently 
he  tried  to  excuse  the  matter,  and  promised 
Commodore  Hopkins  that  he  should  have  no 
further  cause  for  complaint ;  hoping  by  this  means 
to  reinstate  himself  again  in  the  good  opinion  of 
the  merchant. 

Ben  witnessed  this  scene  with  no  little  surprise. 
He  had  learned  to  look  upon  the  captain  of  a  ship, 
especially  the  captain  of  the  Bertha  Hopkins,  as 
an  absolute  monarch. 

How  a  passenger  could  have  the  hardihood  to 
talk  in  this  way  to  him  he  could  not  understand  ; 
but  that  he  appreciated  the  merchant's  kindness 
is  most  certain. 

Captain  Steel  retired  to  his  cabin,  and  nursed 
his  temper  till  he  worked  himself  into  an  inordi- 
nate rage. 

"The  cursed  lubber!"  said  he  to  himself, 
meaning  Ben.  "  I'll  make  him  walk  the  mark 
and  pay  for  this  mighty  dear.  I  wish  old  Hop- 
kins would  tumble  overboard,  and  that  lubber 
with  him. ' ' 

Overboard  ! 

Ah  !  This  is  a  suggestive  thought ;  he  thinks  of 
it  as  if  it  might,  by  some  accident,  actually  occur, 
and  should  it,  he  would  once  more  be  lord  of  the 
ship. 


128  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

'  *  Overboard  ! ' '  and  he  whispers  the  word  to 
himself  to  see  how  it  sounds  to  his  ear — now  a 
little  louder  he  repeats  it,  and  still  again,  while 
he  takes  from  his  pocket  a  letter. 

Hastily  running  his  eyes  over  it  he  reads  these 
words  in  an  undertone  : 

You  will  remember  wbat  I  said  to  you  this  morning  about 
dangerous  places.  You  understood  my  meaning,  I  am  sure. 
Carry  out  my  suggestion  and  the  house  I  own  in  Jersey  City, 
worth  $5,000,  shall  be  yours. 

"Yes,  I  do  remember  what  he  meant,"  said 
Caleb  Steel  to  himself,  as  he  meditated  upon  the 
dark  thought  before  him. 

"A  five  thousand  dollar  house,  and  no  more 
trouble  with  old  Hopkins  on  his  account,"  said 
Steel  covetously.  "Who  would  miss  him  any 
way — a  ragged  gamin  without  any  friends  ?  ' ' 

"Curse  Boggs  for  bringing  him  on  my  ship," 
he  broke  out  savagely,  after  a  pause,  in  which 
he  seemed  to  study  the  possibilities  of  the  case. 
' '  Why  should  he  ask  me  to  do  his  dirty  work  ? ' ' 
said  he,  with  an  ugly  scowl. 

"But " 

Ah  !  the  five  thousand  dollars  comes  up  before 
him  again. 

"Well,  it's  more  than  the  lubber  is  worth," 
said  Steel  to  himself,  by  way  of  compromising 
with  his  conscience. 

' '  Five  thousand  dollars  !  " 


AFIvOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  129 

How  Strangely  fascinating  these  three  simple 
words  are  to  him  as  he  speaks  them  aloud  ;  and 
what  a  forcible  argument  they  present.  Now  he 
drops  his  head  into  his  hands  and  thinks. 

His  brows  are  knitted,  as  if  some  question  of 
awful  importance  were  pressing  for  an  answer. 

Doubtless  his  conscience  is  battling  with  the 
argument  of  the  five  thousand  dollars.  The 
former  is  sustained  by  his  sense  of  right,  by  the 
laws  of  the  state,  by  humanity,  by  the  thought 
of  his  own  family,  by  everything  that  is  sacred 
and  pure,  and  by  Heaven  itself.  But  against  all 
this  force  stands  boldly  pitted  a  very  subtle,  dan- 
gerous enemy — hard  cash.  Which  will  appeal 
most  strongly  to  this  man,  I  wonder  ? 

Ah,  how  he  jumps  at  a  slight  noise,  as  if 
already  guilty  of  crime  !  And  thus  startled,  he 
looks  pale  and  trembles  like  a  convict. 

"  Curse  this  business  !  "  he  mutters  with 
clinched  teeth,  and  strikes  his  hand  out  forcibly, 
as  if  to  hurl  the  thought  from  him. 

But  this  was  not  so  easily  accomplished  ;  for 
once  having  gained  access  to  his  mind,  under 
favorable  consideration,  it  clung  there  with  demo- 
niacal tenacity  till  it  poisoned  the  man's  very 
thoughts. 

Thus  agitated,  he  opened  a  closet  in  the  cabin 
and  took  from  a  case  a  whisky  bottle — one  of  the 
very  lot  sent  by  Anthony  Boggs.     From  it  he 


13©  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

poured  a  large  potion — larger  than  was  his  cus- 
tom to  take — and  drank  it  with  a  smack,  hoping 
by  this  means  to  drown  his  present  annoyance. 

"  Old  Crow,"  said  he,  reading  the  label  on  the 
bottle  ;  "mighty  fine  flavor,  too,  and  went  plumb 
to  the  right  spot.  I  think  I'll  try  a  little  more." 
And  now  another  smack  of  approval. 

Dev'lish  good  of  Anthony,  anyway,  to  send 
me  this  kind  of  stuff.  There  ain't  no  better  any- 
where." 

Whisky — Anthony  Boggs — Five  thousand  dol- 
lars. 

Somehow  they  seemed  all  connected,  and  not 
only  linked  together,  but  attached  to  him  as  well. 

"Yes— eh " 

And  now  he  paused  and  rested  his  head  on  his 
hand. 

"Well,  if  I  must  do  it,  I  shall  have  to  be 
mighty  careful,  that's  all,"  said  he,  as  if  he 
had  secretly  given  himself  over  to  his  devilish 
purpose. 

"If  I'm  found  out,"  he  continued— "  but  I 
won't  be.  Caleb  Steel  knows  what  he  is  about. 
I'll  just  wait  my  time,  and  then " 

The  word  ' '  then ' '  came  out  with  emphasis, 
and  there  he  stopped,  for  at  that  moment  he  was 
interrupted  by  one  of  the  mates,  who  asked  for 
certain  orders  concerning  the  sailing  of  the  ship. 


XX. 

1 1  rniLE  our  young  friend  had  been  getting  a 
little  used  to  sea  life,  matters  had  taken 
a  turn  in  New  York  that  placed  him  in  a  most 
unfortunate  position. 

A  post  mortem  examination  had  been  held  over 
the  remains  of  old  Mother  Grimmis. 

A  heavy  bruise  was  found  on  her  forehead,  as 
if  she  had  received  a  terrible  blow  from  a  club,  or 
something  of  that  nature. 

The  skin  was  hardly  broken,  but  the  swollen, 
puffy  condition  of  the  flesh  gave  sufficient  evi- 
dence to  show  that  her  head  had,  by  an  unknown 
means,  come  into  forcible  collision  with  some 
hard  substance. 

And  whether  this  powerful  blow  had  been 
leveled  at  her  head  by  an  assassin,  or  whether  she 
inflicted  it  upon  herself  in  falling,  was  a  question 
that  puzzled  the  inquest. 

There  were  reasons  in  support  of  both  theories. 

The  natural  conclusion,  however,  was  that  she 
had  been  struck  down  with  a  cudgel,  and  that  the 
blow  had  caused  her  death. 

But  careful  examination  showed  that  this  was 
131 


132  AFI.OAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

not  necessarily  true,  for  her  death  might  be 
accounted  for  in  another  way,  and  very  naturally, 
too.  When  found,  her  head  lay  very  near  the 
stove,  only  a  few  inches  from  the  edge  of  the  ash 
pan — a  cast  iron  pot  with  a  thick  edge.  On  this 
she  might  have  fallen,  and  received  her  death  blow. 

"  But  would  she  have  been  likely  to  fall  thus?  " 
the  jurors  asked  each  other. 

No,  they  thought  she  would  not — not  unless 
some  special  cause  existed  that  would  tend  to 
produce  such  a  result — a  cause  like  heart  disease, 
apoplexy,  dizziness,  or  intoxication. 

The  autopsy  revealed  the  fact  that  she  had 
been  a  hard  drinker.  The  tissues  of  her  stomach 
were  terribly  inflamed  and  partially  eaten  away 
by  alcohol. 

It  was  further  shown  by  chemical  analysis  that 
she  was,  at  the  time  of  her  death,  well  under  the 
influence  of  liquor.  The  gray  and  white  matter 
of  the  brain  showed  signs  of  congestion.  In  fact, 
her  whole  system  was  so  deranged  that  several 
diseases  might  have  developed  at  any  time,  any 
one  of  which  would  have  led  to  this  fatal  result. 

It  was,  therefore,  a  very  difiicult  case  for  the 
coroner,  but  one  that  doubtless  would  have  been 
passed  over  lightly,  owing,  in  part,  to  the  woman's 
obscurity  and  miserable  character,  but  for  evi- 
dence which  came  out  in  the  inquest  and  which 
pointed  to  foul  play. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 33 

Almost  immediately  after  the  discovery  of  her 
dead  body,  several  of  the  toughest  characters  who 
habitually  frequented  her  den,  and  were  spoken 
of  as  Mother  Grimmis'  gang,  were  arrested  and 
held  for  appearance  when  wanted. 

At  this  inquest,  however,  all  were  able  to  prove 
an  alibi,  and  the  evidence  was  of  so  strong  a 
nature  that  they  were  discharged  after  being  de- 
tained to  give  testimony  upon  the  case. 

And  in  this  evidence  Ben's  connection  with 
the  old  woman's  den  was  clearly  brought  out. 

The  jurors  looked  at  each  other  significantly. 
Here  was  a  clue  that  promised  fruitful  results. 

The  "  gang  "  were  sharp  enough  to  note  this, 
and,  that  they  might  appear  further  removed 
from  suspicion,  gave  their  testimony  a  coloring 
that  reflected  very  darkly  upon  Ben. 

Inmates  of  the  building  were  summoned,  but 
none  had  seen  any  stranger  enter  Mother  Grim- 
mis'  apartments,  or  leave  them,  on  that  fatal 
night. 

It  was  learned  from  questioning  the  ' '  gang ' ' 
that  the  lad  and  Mother  Grimmis  had  frequently 
quarreled. 

This  statement  strengthened  the  theory  now 
forming  in  the  jurors'  minds. 

Circumstances  were  woven  around  Ben  in  such 
a  way  that  suspicion  pointed  strongly  to  him, 
and  the  inquest  took  this  view  of  the  case. 


134  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

They  felt  there  was  no  positive  evidence  that 
the  woman  had  been  foully  dealt  with.  It  was 
one  of  those  peculiar  cases  where  death  might 
have  resulted  from  natural  causes,  or  might  have 
been  the  work  of  an  assassin. 

There  were  more  reasons,  however,  for  believ- 
ing the  former,  and  the  coroner's  verdict  would 
have  been  rendered  in  accordance  with  this  view 
but  for  the  mysterious  disappearance  of  Ben. 

This  in  itself  was  so  suspicious  that  the  in- 
quest did  not  feel  justified  in  dropping  the  case 
without  a  proper  investigation  on  the  part  of  the 
courts. 


XXI. 

'T^HE  result  of  the  coroner's  inquest  was  pub- 
lished in  the  city  papers  much  as  I  have 
given  it  in  the  chapter  just  ended. 

And  there  were  two  men  who  read  it  with  far 
greater  interest  than  any  others  in  the  whole 
metropolis. 

They  were  William  Montgomery  and  Anthony 
Boggs. 

The  former  was  astounded  at  the  idea.  It 
seemed  so  improbable  that  the  lad  could  be  con- 
nected with  such  a  crime,  and  yet  there  was 
before  him  the  same  circumstantial  evidence  that 
had  been  given  to  the  coroner. 

He  handed  the  paper  to  his  wife,  pointing  to 
the  article  for  her  to  read,  but  said  nothing. 

They  were  at  breakfast  at  the  time. 

"Oh,  William!  Can  it  be  possible?"  she 
said  ;  ' '  and  he  is  the  boy  for  whom  we  felt  such 
sympathy." 

"  I  can't  believe  it,"  replied  Mr.  Montgomery. 
"  The    evidence   saj^s    nothing   about    the   man 
who  stepped  out  of  a  closet,   and  came  between 
Mother  Grimmis  and  the  lad,"  he  continued. 
135 


136  AFI^OAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  That  is  so,  but  you  know  you  have  only  the 
boy's  word  for  that." 

' '  That  is  very  true  ;  but  still,  I  believe  what 
he  told  me.  I  am  seldom  deceived  in  reading 
character.  Moreover,  there  is  every  reason  for 
believing  his  story.  In  the  first  place,  he  showed 
himself  an  honest  boy  by  bringing  my  dog  to  me, 
when  he  could  easily  have  sold  him  for  a  good 
price.  Again,  if  he  had  been  guilty  of  this  deed 
he  never  would  have  told  us  the  story  he  gave  of 
his  life,  and  certainly  he  would  never  have  let 
us  know  where  he  had  lived — giving  the  name 
of  the  old  woman — which  he  did,  the  very  same 
that  is  here  published." 

' '  Your  view  seems  very  reasonable,  and  I  fully 
agree  with  you  ;  but  where  do  you  suppose  he  is 
now?  "  returned  the  lady, 

"Ah,  that  is  a  mystery;  but  probably  the 
secret  will  come  out  now,  if  he  has  not  been 
spirited  away  for  some  purpose  or  other,  by  some 
designing  villain. ' ' 

"  I  almost  think  he  has,  or  he  would  have  come 
to  you  as  he  promised. ' ' 

"  So  I  think,  and  I  shall  see  what  I  can  find 
out." 

' '  Has  your  detective  brought  you  any  word 
yet?" 

' '  No,  I  have  not  seen  Artemas  Diggs  for 
several  days,"   answered   Mr.    Montgomery  ab- 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  137 

stractedly  ;  ' '  but  I  shall  send  for  him  to  come 
and  see  me  tomorrow  about  this  matter,"  he 
added  after  a  pause. 

Anthony  Boggs,  on  the  contrary,  had  been 
hoping  that  this  suspicion  might  fall  upon  Ben, 
so  when  he  saw  the  report  of  the  inquest  he 
shouted  to  himself : 

' '  Triumphant  at  last  !  Anthony  Boggs,  you 
are  safe  from  all  the  harm  this  young  Arab  can 
do  you. ' ' 

And  he  could  hardly  restrain  his  joy  over  the 
terrible  misfortune  that  threatened  the  very  life 
of  our  young  friend. 

Now  he  thought  of  the  five  thousand  dollars  he 
had  promised  Caleb  Steel  conditionally,  and  he 
wondered  if  there  was  no  way  by  which  he  could 
withdraw  the  offer. 

"  For,"  said  he,  "  it  is  like  throwing  so  much 
money  away,  for  if  the  gamin  ever  gets  here  alive 
the  authorities  will  nab  him,  so  he  cannot  bother 
me.  I'll  cable  Captain  Steel  at  Cape  Town  and 
tell  him  I  withdraw  my  offer,  and  direct  him 
not  to  do  anything  on  my  account.  He  said 
his  first  stopping  place  would  be  Cape  Town, 
But,  then,  he  won't  be  there  for  three  or  four 
weeks  yet,  and  then,  perhaps,  it  will  be  too  late. 
The  job  may  be  done  already,  and  he  will  claim 
his  money — the  dog  ! ' ' 

If  Caleb  Steel  could  have  seen  this  villain's 


138  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

expression  as  he  uttered  this  remark  his  blood 
would  have  boiled. 

"  Auyway,  I'll  send  the  cablegram,"  he  con- 
tinued, "and  I'll  make  Steel  prove  when  the 
accident  took  place  if  he  ever  asks  me  for  the 
money.  I  can  find  out  if  the  boy  is  on  the  ship 
when  it  arrives  there,  and  the  messenger's  receipt 
will  tell  if  Steel  gets  the  message. ' ' 

Accordingly  the  cablegram  was  sent  to  Cape 
Town  with  instructions  to  hold  till  the  arrival  of 
the  Bertha  Hopkins. 

It  was  a  queer  thing  to  do,  to  cable  so  long  be- 
fore the  vessel  was  due,  but  Boggs  was  so  intent 
upon  saving  the  five  thousand  dollar  house  that 
he  acted  on  the  impulse  of  the  moment — not  that 
he  cared  to  prevent  the  crime  he  had  incited. 

But  in  the  course  of  a  day  or  two  a  new  phase 
of  this  case  began  to  be  developed,  which  struck 
terror  to  the  heart  of  Anthony  Boggs. 

The  city  authorities  started  out  two  detectives, 
to  try  to  find  Ben. 

It  was  learned  by  them  that  a  boy  answering 
to  his  description  had  been  sent  to  the  Island  for 
fighting,  but  that  he  had  been  returned  on  the 
surety  of  one  Grymes  Jessup,  an  attorney.  They 
learned  the  date  of  the  fight  and  then  went  to  the 
policeman  who  made  the  arrest,  to  get  the  exact 
time  of  night  when  it  occurred. 

From  him  they  learned  the  particulars  of  the 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  139 

trouble,  and  got  the  name  and  address  of  Perry 
Boggs,  which  they  entered  in  their  notebooks. 

Next  they  proceeded  to  the  office  of  Grymes 
Jessnp,  the  attorney. 

The  latter  had  been  uneasy  ever  since  seeing 
the  report  of  the  inquest,  and  now  he  showed 
positive  alarm  the  minute  the  two  detectives 
entered  his  scantily  furnished  office. 

They  proceeded  at  once  to  business,  and  asked 
him  what  relation  he  bore  to  Ben. 

"  A  professional  relation,"  was  his  answer. 

* '  Did  he  solicit  your  services  ?  ' '  asked  one  of 
the  men. 

"  No,  sir,  I  can't  say  that." 

"  Why  did  you  act  for  him,  then  ?  " 

' '  It  was  my  client  I  acted  for. ' ' 

' '  And  the  three  hundred  dollars  bail  you  gave 
in  your  own  name  was  for  your  client  ?  ' ' 

"Yes." 

"  He  authorized  you  to  give  it  for  him  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  May  I  ask  you  the  name  of  this  client?  " 

"  His  name  is  Anthony  Boggs." 

"  Boggs,  did  you  say  ?  " 

"Yes." 

The  two  detectives  looked  significantly  at  each 
other,  and  drew  out  the  notebooks  which  con- 
tained the  name  of  Perry  Boggs. 

' '  And  he  lives  on  Fifth  Avenue,  number  — ? ' ' 


I40  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

'  *  Yes,  that  is  where  he  lives. ' ' 

"Thank  you,"  said  the  speaker.  "But  can 
you  tell  me  where  this  boy  Ben  is  now  ?  ' ' 

"You  will  have  to  see  Mr.  Boggs  for  that 
information.  That  is  his  private  business,  so 
it  would  not  be  proper  for  me  to  talk  about  the 
matter. ' ' 

"  Just  so.  Well,  thank  you  for  what  you  have 
said  ;  we  will  not  bore  you  further  at  present,  but 
may  call  again." 

And  the  detectives  passed  out  and  started  for 
the  residence  of  Anthony  Boggs. 


I 


XXII. 

IMMEDIATELY  after  the  two  detectives  left 
the  ofiSce  of  Grymes  Jessup,  the  latter  hurried 
to  a  neighboring  sanctum  where  a  telephone  was 
kept,  and  with  this  instrument  called  up  Anthony 
Boggs. 

"  Some  men  just  left  my  office  to  see  you," 
said  he  nervously. 

"Who  were  they  ?  "  asked  Boggs,  alarmed  lest 
some  evil  should,  after  all,  overtake  him. 

' '  Detectives, ' '  was  the  reply. 

' '  What  ?  ' '  gasped  the  schemer,  though  he 
understood  the  word  all  too  well. 

"  Detectives  !  "  repeated  Grymes  Jessup,  louder 
than  before.    "Don't  you  see  them.     Be  sure." 

Boggs  supported  himself  against  a  table  to 
keep  from  falling.  ' '  Detectives  coming  for  me  ! ' ' 
said  he  to  himself,  and  he  trembled  from  head  to 
foot. 

At  this  instant  a  lady  opened  the  library  door 
and  entered  the  room. 

And  there  before  her  was  Boggs,  white  with 
terror,  and  looking  as  if  he  would  faint  as  he  held 
the  telephone  close  to  his  ear. 
141 


142  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"Why,  what  in  the  world  is  the  matter?" 
exclaimed  she,  alarmed  at  his  appearance. 

The  blood  instantly  rushed  to  his  face,  and  his 
color  became  crimson. 

"  Let  me  finish  with  this  man,  then  I  will  tell 
you,"  said  he,  to  gain  time. 

"  Anything  more  to  say  ?  "  shouted  he  through 
the  telephone  to  Grymes  Jessup. 

"  You  had  better  come  to  my  office  at  once," 
returned  the  attorney. 

"  All  right,"  was  the  reply. 

"Good  by,"  said  Grymes,  and  hanging  the 
telephone  up  he  returned  to  his  sanctum. 

But  Anthony  Boggs  pressed  the  instrument 
closer  to  his  ear,  and  seemed  to  listen  with  renewed 
interest. 

His  back  was  now  to  the  lady  as  he  looked 
toward  the  transmitter,  and  he  dreaded  facing  her, 
so  he  very  cleverly  pretended  to  be  talking  still, 
that  he  might  have  time  for  thought. 

"  I  don't  understand  you,"  he  called  out,  as  if 
still  actually  talking  to  some  one. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  see  now  ;  "  and  again  he  said,  "  is 
the  market  more  quiet  ?  " 

All  this  deception  was  to  avoid  meeting  the 
eyes  of  this  lady.  What  should  he  say  to  her  ? 
It  seemed  to  him  that  she  was  reading  his  very 
thoughts,  and  now  saw  him  in  his  true  character. 

"  Don't  keep  me  in  this  suspense,  Anthony,  but 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 43 

tell  me  what  has  happened,"  said  the  lady,  alarmed 
and  yet  puzzled  at  the  sudden  change  that  had 
come  over  him  as  she  entered  the  room. 

' '  The  bottom  has  tumbled  out  of  one  of  my 
investments,"  said  he  falsely. 

This  excuse  he  invented  while  pretending  to  be 
engaged  with  the  telephone. 

"Oh,  I'm  so  sorry,"  said  she  feelingly.  "Will 
you  lose  heavily  ?  " 

"A  good  stroke,"  said  Boggs  to  himself,  and 
he  smiled  at  his  own  evil  cunning.  "I'm  safe 
now  from  her  suspicion,  so  I'll  just  cut  this  con- 
versation short."     Accordingly  he  shouted  : 

"Expect  me  in  half  an  hour.  I'll  start  at 
once.  Good  by  ;  "  and  he  turned  and  faced  the 
lady. 

She  was  a  woman  who  would  everywhere 
attract  attention  by  her  perfect  figure  and  fine 
intellectual  face,  with  its  kindly,  sympathetic 
expression.  She  was  richly  dressed,  and  her 
manner  was  commanding  and  refined.  Could 
our  young  hero  have  seen  her  now  he  would  at 
once  have  recognized  her  as  the  lady  whom  he 
saw  on  Fourteenth  Street,  as  he  leaned  against 
the  tree  on  that  eventful  night. 

The  peculiarity  of  Boggs'  manner  aroused  her 
suspicions,  and  she  fixed  her  ej-es  searchingly 
upon  him,  much  to  his  visible  discomfort. 

His   eyes   fell  before  her  steady,  penetrating 


144  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

gaze,  and  he  moved  toward  the  door  like  one  con- 
victed. 

"  The  market,"  he  muttered  confusedly,  "  the 
market  has " 

But  he  never  finished  the  sentence,  for  at  this 
instant  a  sharp  pull  at  the  door  bell  made  him 
jump  as  if  hit  with  a  rifle  bullet,  and  again  the 
color  left  his  face  as  completely  as  if  he  were 
dead. 

"I  must  not  be  seen,"  said  he  excitedly, 
before  he  realized  in  what  a  suspicious  light 
these  words  would  place  him.  ' '  Say  I  am  not 
at  home." 

"But  you  are  at  home,"  returned  the  lady, 
' '  and  I  am  not  in  the  habit  of  saying  what  is 
not  so." 

"  Take  a  seat  in  here,  I  will  call  Mr.  Boggs," 
said  the  servant,  as  she  ushered  the  two  men 
into  the  drawing  room. 

"Here  they  come  now,"  gasped  Boggs,  and 
there  being  no  other  avenue  of  retreat,  he  rushed 
into  a  closet  like  one  demented. 

"  I  thought  Mr.  Boggs  was  in  here,"  said  the 
servant  as  she  came  to  the  door  to  call  him. 
"  Two  men  want  to  see  him." 

"  Apparently  I  am  the  only  one  here,"  an- 
swered the  lady  in  her  peculiar  dignified  manner. 
"  But  I  will  go  with  you  and  see  what  they 
want." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 45 

Boggs  heard  this  and  groaned. 

' '  Would  you  like  to  leave  any  word  for  Mr. 
Boggs?"  said  the  lady  to  the  detectives  as  she 
entered  the  hall. 

"  We  wanted  to  see  him  personally,  madam," 
said  one  of  the  men.  ' '  But  perhaps  you  can  tell 
us  something  about  the  matter,"  he  added,  after 
pausing  for  a  moment's  thought. 

"  I  may  be  able  to  do  so,"  returned  the  lady, 
who  seemed  to  know  intuitively  that  some  dark 
mystery  was  afloat. 

"  Well,  then,  what  we  want,"  he  replied,  "  is 
to  learn  the  whereabouts  of  the  boy  whose 
release  from  the  Island  Mr.  Boggs  secured  by 
giving  a  bond  for  his  good  behavior,  or  rather, 
by  instructing  his  attorney  to  do  so  for  him." 

' '  Mr.  Boggs  took  a  boy  from  the  Island  ?  ' ' 
said  she  incredulously, 

' '  Yes ;  and  do  you  know  nothing  of  the 
matter?" 

"  This  is  the  first  I  have  heard  of  it,  sir." 

' '  Then  evidently  we  can  learn  nothing  from 
you  that  will  aid  us  in  finding  him." 

"  No,  not  unless  you  state  the  particulars 
about  the  boy,  for  if  you  do  this,  I  might  pos- 
sibly call  the  case  to  mind,"  said  the  lady,  who 
was  now  trying  to  gain  some  information  regard- 
ing the  matter. 

Little  by  little,   and  by  skilful  tact,  she  got 


146  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

the  story  from  the  detectives,  all  the  facts  they 
had  learned,  and  now,  for  the  first  time,  she 
knew  the  true  cause  of  Perry's  badly  battered 
face. 

And  when  she  remembered  that  this  occurred 
on  the  very  night  that  she  saw  the  lad  by  the 
tree  on  Fourteenth  Street — the  lad  who  impressed 
her  so  peculiarly — she  naturally  associated  him 
with  Perry's  misfortune,  because,  in  fact,  the 
description  of  the  boy  by  the  detectives  was 
quite  true  to  him. 

The  matter  troubled  her  so  much  that  she 
found  it  impossible  to  throw  it  from  her  mind. 
There  was  a  mystery  about  it  that  she  could  not 
understand. 

She  retired  to  her  room  to  think  as  soon  as  the 
detectives  had  gone.  She  could  not  bear  to  join 
Boggs  in  the  library — such  a  coward  !  And 
worse,  for  he  was,  as  it  now  seemed  to  her, 
guilty  of  some  crime,  or  he  would  never  have 
acted  as  he  did. 

And  now  she  had  discovered  the  true  cause  of 
Perry's  black  eye  and  knew  that  he  had  told  her 
a  falsehood  about  it.  This  was  beyond  question, 
and  the  thought  froze  the  affection  she  had  felt 
for  him. 


XXIII. 

P>EFORE  the  detectives  had  got  many  blocks 
away,  Boggs  slipped  out  of  his  house, 
carefully  avoiding  all  the  inmates,  and  made  his 
way,  with  all  possible  haste,  to  the  office  of  his 
attorney. 

He  was  nervous  and  agitated,  and  his  face 
wore  a  look  of  unmistakable  fear  as  he  entered 
the  presence  of  Grymes  Jessup,  Esquire. 

' '  Have  you  seen  them  ?  ' '  asked  the  latter,  in 
a  manner  that  showed  his  own  alarm. 

' '  No,  but  what  is  the  row  ? ' '  asked  Boggs, 
while  he  seemed  to  shudder  in  anticipation  of  the 
answer. 

"  That  boy,"  replied  the  attorney. 

"  Curse  him  !  He  will  be  the  ruin  of  me  yet," 
returned  Boggs  bitterly. 

"  And  perhaps  me,  too,"  suggested  Grymes 
Jessup  coolly.  ' '  It  was  a  bad  piece  of  business, 
and  they  know  it  all. ' ' 

Boggs'  hands  twitched  nervously,  and  the 
color  left  his  face. 

' '  How  did  they  find  it  out  ?  ' '  gasped  he. 

Grymes  Jessup  explained  so  far  as  he  knew, 
147 


148  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

and  after  discussing  the  matter  for  a  time,  he 
and  his  client  went  to  a  noted  counselor  and 
sought  advice. 

From  this  legal  light  they  learned  that  no  law 
existed  that  would  compel  them,  or  either  of 
them,  to  say  anything  whatever  about  the  miss- 
ing boy. 

This  view  of  the  case  was  a  surprise  to  Mr. 
Jessup,  who  thought  he  knew  tolerably  well  what 
the  law  should  be,  even  if,  in  fact,  he  knew  very 
little  of  what  it  really  was. 

He  looked  at  Boggs  as  if  he  questioned  the 
soundness  of  the  learned  lawyer's  advice,  and 
Boggs,  in  turn,  looked  questioningly  at  the  legal 
gentleman  of  great  fame. 

The  latter,  however,  satisfied  them  that  they 
could  not  be  molested  or  forced  to  incriminate 
themselves  in  any  way. 

This  information  had  a  most  cheering  effect 
upon  both  Boggs  and  Grymes  Jessup,  and  they 
agreed  together  to  answer  no  questions  touching 
upon  Ben's  whereabouts. 

Nevertheless,  their  refusal  to  say  anything 
upon  the  matter  made  their  position  all  the  more 
suspicious. 

Later  in  the  day,  Artemas  Diggs,  the  special 
detective  employed  by  William  Montgomery  to 
look  into  the  case,  reported  to  the  latter  all  the 
facts  regarding  Ben's  trouble  with  Perry  Boggs, 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 49 

his  arrest  and  conviction,  and  how  his  pardon 
was  secured  by  Anthony  Boggs,  the  father  of  the 
boy  Ben  punished  so  severely. 

This  information  only  served  to  increase  Mr. 
Montgomery's  interest  in  our  young  friend,  and 
it  strengthened  his  purpose  to  try  and  discover 
Ben's  whereabouts,  and  to  protect  him,  as  far  as 
possible,  from  suffering  unjustly. 

"  This  explains,  then,  why  the  lad  did  not  keep 
his  engagement  and  call  upon  me  that  morning, ' ' 
said  the  lawyer  to  himself  ;  and  he  felt  more  than 
ever  convinced  of  the  boy's  honesty. 

But  Ben  was  well  at  sea  now,  far  away  from 
Mr.  Montgomery's  aid,  and  from  the  strong  hand 
of  the  law,  which  was  waiting  to  grasp  him  on  a 
charge  of  capital  crime. 

It  was  fortunate  that  he  knew  nothing  of  the 
suspicion  that  had  been  raised  against  him 
regarding  Mother  Grimmis'  sudden  and  peculiar 
death. 

Had  he  known  this,  his  trials  would  have  been 
almost  beyond  his  strength  to  bear — a  mere  boy 
as  he  was — for,  as  I  have  already  shown,  his  life 
on  board  the  Bertha  Hopkins  was  anything  but 
desirable. 

Since  Commodore  Hopkins'  interference  in  his 
behalf,  however,  he  saw  a  very  favorable  change 
in  Captain  Steel's  manner  toward  him,  and  he 
tried  to  make  the  best  of  his  enforced  voyage. 


I5P  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

always  performing  his  duties  in  the  most  faithful 
manner. 

Every  day  seemed  to  give  him  new  life  and 
new  strength.  The  sea  air  robbed  him  of  his 
pallor  and  gave  him  a  rich  color  that  indicated 
perfect  health. 

But  the  good  effect  of  the  ocean  breezes  was 
even  more  noticeable  upon  Bertha  Hopkins  than 
upon  him.  The  salt  air  was  a  tonic  to  her ;  it 
quickened  her  appetite  and  invigorated  her  whole 
system.  The  cough  that  had  so  alarmed  her 
parents  was  forced  to  give  up  its  hold.  Her 
strength  returned,  and  the  rosy  color  which  had 
once  been  hers  now  came  to  her  cheeks  again. 

Ben  thought  she  was  very  pretty,  but  he  liked 
her  most  for  her  kindness  and  agreeable  ways. 
He  had  become  very  well  acquainted  with  her, 
and  during  his  spare  moments  they  were  together 
a  great  deal. 

She  liked  the  sea,  and  was  out  on  deck  much 
of  her  time,  where  she  chatted  familiarly  with 
officers  and  sailors  alike.  But  Ben  being  about 
her  own  age,  and  the  only  young  person  on  board 
the  ship  beside  herself,  she  naturally  drifted 
toward  him  whenever  she  felt  weary  of  reading 
and  wanted  a  chat  with  some  one  other  than  her 
mother  and  father. 

And  thus  the  friendship  of  Ben  and  his  fair 
young  companion  grew  day  by  day.     She  told 


AFJUOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  151 

him  of  her  friends  in  New  York,  of  her  own 
elegant  home,  and  pictured  the  life  of  luxury  she 
had  lived. 

He  listened  to  all  this  with  the  rapt  attention 
that  the  average  boy  would  show  at  the  recital  of 
an  Indian  war  tale  ;  and  in  return  he  told  her, 
little  by  little,  much  of  his  own  peculiar  experi- 
ences which  he  passed  through  on  the  busy 
streets  of  New  York. 

This  phase  of  life  was  quite  as  new  and  inter- 
esting to  her  as  the  glimpse  of  wealth  which  she 
gave  was  to  him. 

And  these  simple  anecdotes  possessed  a  peculiar 
charm  for  each  of  these  young  people,  situated  as 
they  were,  away  out  in  mid  ocean,  away  from 
dear  old  New  York  and  all  former  companions. 

They  were  largely  dependent  upon  each  other 
for  entertainment,  but  this  burden — if  burden 
it  can  be  called — seemed  to  grow  lighter  day  by 
day. 

The  books  that  Bertha  brought  with  her  some- 
how appeared  to  grow  less  and  less  interesting, 
while  the  stories  of  New  York  as  related  by  Ben 
fascinated  her. 

But  it  is  quite  probable  that  this  was  due  more 
to  congenial  company  than  to  the  merit  of  his 
stories  or  his  superior  way  of  relating  them. 

And  now  he  began  to  think  the  life  of  a  sailor 
was  not  so  bad  after  all. 


152  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

His  resolution  to  desert  the  ship  at  the  first 
port  seemed  unwise — in  fact,  the  idea  presented 
so  many  dangers  that  he  very  surprisingly  decided 
to  give  up  his  purpose. 

He  learned  that  Bertha  was  bound  for  Aus- 
tralia, and  it  seemed  to  him  all  at  once  that  he, 
too,  would  like  to  see  that  country. 


XXIV. 

/^APTAIN  STEEI.  noted  the  friendship  that 
—  had  grown  up  between  Ben  and  Bertha 
during  their  few  weeks'  association  on  shipboard, 
and  he  envied  the  lad  the  unmistakable  pleasure 
he  found  in  her  presence.  But  as  Caleb  Steel 
was  trying  to  win  back  Commodore  Hopkins' 
good  opinion,  he  dared  not  do  anything  to  offend 
him.  Therefore  he  did  not  interfere  with  Ben, 
saying  to  himself  always,  "  Your  time  will  come, 
you  young  lubber.  Old  Hopkins  can  say  nothing 
to  me  if  you  meet  with  an  accident  some  day," 
and  then  he  would  look  at  the  weather  to  see  if 
any  signs  of  an  approaching  storm  could  be  seen. 

The  Bertha  Hopkins  had  been  out  nearly  five 
weeks,  and  had  encountered  no  storm  of  any 
consequence. 

Fine  weather  continued  day  after  day — just 
such  weather  as  would  ordinarily  keep  the  master 
of  a  ship  in  high  spirits,  but  on  this  occasion  it 
was  not  so  with  Captain  Steel. 

He  wanted  to  see  a  storm — not  a  light  one — 
but  one  that  would  enable  him  to  carry  out  his 
wicked  plans. 

153 


154  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

At  last  it  came,  and  struck  the  ship  suddenly 
and  with  great  fur}',  when  she  was  not  prepared 
for  such  a  blast. 

It  was  nearly  night  at  the  time,  and  the  dark- 
ness shut  in  upon  them  almost  without  warning, 
as  the  storm  itself  had  advanced. 

The  rain  began  falling  in  torrents,  and  the 
wind  blew  a  fierce  gale.  The  ship  plunged  and 
trembled  as  if  it  were  a  mere  plaything  tossed  by 
the  fury  of  the  elements.  All  the  crew  were 
ordered  aloft  to  take  in  sail,  Ben  being  among 
the  number.  The  great  masts  creaked  and 
groaned  with  the  terrible  strain  upon  them,  and 
swayed  violently  as  the  ship  rolled  and  pitched 
in  a  way  that  threatened  her  destruction. 

This  was  more  of  a  storm  than  Caleb  Steel  had 
hoped  to  see,  and  every  minute  the  force  of  the 
wind  and  rain  seemed  to  increase. 

He  darted  hither  and  thither,  giving  orders  for 
the  safety  of  the  ship.  The  canvas  could  not  be 
reduced  quickly  enough. 

And  now  came  a  crash  that  painted  terror  upon 
every  face — the  foremast  w^as  gone — snapped  like 
a  reed  before  the  fury  of  the  gale. 

The  sails  beat  loudly  as  the  men  strove  to  take 
them  in,  and  the  rigging  rattled  so  that  it  could 
be  heard  above  the  roar  of  the  tempest. 

In  the  excitement  and  anxiety  of  the  hour,  the 
captain  quite  forgot  Ben  and  the  plan  he  had 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 55 

formed  concerning  him.  But  now,  as  he  saw  the 
brave  tars  make  their  way  hand  over  hand  in  the 
ratlines,  he  called  to  mind  his  wicked  purpose, 
and  instantly  sent  for  the  lad. 

The  latter  responded  promptly  to  the  sum- 
mons, and  was  ordered  sternly  by  the  captain 
away  to  the  main  topgallant  crosstrees  to  clear 
the  rigging.  The  boy  looked  at  the  officer  ques- 
tioningly,  as  if  he  doubted  his  own  senses. 

"Start,  you  lubber  !  "  shouted  Caleb  Steel,  in 
a  way  that  no  longer  left  any  doubt  in  the  lad's 
mind  as  to  the  captain's  purpose. 

Instantly  he  commenced  the  perilous  ascent  that 
promised,  inexperienced  as  he  was,  to  terminate 
his  life. 

"  It  is  brutal  to  send  that  lad  aloft,"  said  Dan 
Spiker  indignantly  to  Commodore  Hopkins. 

"What,  has  the  boy  been  ordered  aloft?" 
returned  the  latter  anxiously. 

"  Yes,  and  away  to  the  topgallant  crosstrees," 
replied  the  boatswain  sorrowfully,  as  he  rushed 
to  another  part  of  the  ship. 

"  Cruel  !  cruel  !  "  muttered  the  commodore  to 
himself.  "  He  will  never  come  down  alive,  the 
poor  lad."  And  through  the  darkness  he  caught 
a  partial  glimpse  of  the  boy  as  he  mounted 
higher  and  higher  into  the  black  tempest  above. 

On  and  on  Ben  climbed,  thinking  less  of  his 
own  danger  than  the  safety  of  the  ship. 


156  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

When  the  foremast  gave  way  and  came  crash- 
ing down,  he  thought  of  Bertha,  and  asked  him- 
self what  he  could  do  to  save  her  from  perishing 
if  the  ship  should  become  disabled,  as  he  imagined 
she  would. 

It  is  but  natural  he  should  have  thought  of 
her  safet3%  for  she  had  entered  more  into  his 
life  and  thoughts  than  any  one  else  on  board — 
than  any  one  ever  had  before  in  all  his  past 
experience. 

Starved  as  his  whole  life  had  been  for  the  lack 
of  a  mother's  love  and  kindness,  and  ignorant  as 
he  was  of  the  refining  influence  of  woman  in  her 
better  development,  he  appreciated  highly  his 
association  with  a  sweet,  sunny  natured  girl  like 
Bertha. 

And  day  by  day,  as  they  chatted  carelessly 
together,  he  had  learned  to  look  upon  her  as  a 
sister,  or  as  he  thought  he  would  feel  toward  his 
own  sister  if  by  penetrating  the  mystery  of  his 
life  he  were  to  discover  one  like  Bertha.  Thus, 
as  he  made  his  way  into  the  rigging  against  the 
fury  of  the  storm,  the  thought  that  perhaps  his 
own  efforts  would  save  her  life,  as  well  as  the 
lives  of  others,  gave  him  the  courage  and  strength 
to  accomplish  what  would  have  been  impossible 
under  other  circumstances.  He  had  the  advantage 
of  being  light  and  wiry,  and  his  nimble  fingers 
clung  to  the  ropes  with  an  unyielding  grasp. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  157 

And  Still  on  he  climbed,  bidding  defiance  to  the 
angry  elements.  But  the  rain  beat  upon  him  with 
awful  fury,  and  the  wind  almost  tore  him  from 
the  mast  to  which  he  clung  determinedly  with 
hands  and  legs. 

Little  by  little,  however,  he  progressed  till  he 
reached  the  topgallant,  where  the  terrible  pitch- 
ing of  the  ship  almost  hurled  him  from  his  place. 
The  tall  mast  bent  and  cracked  beneath  him,  so 
that  every  instant  it  seemed  as  if  it  would  break 
and  go  crashing  down  upon  the  deck,  or  plunge 
into  the  mad  ocean. 

This  thought  almost  paralyzed  him  with  fear, 
and  weakened  his  grasp  so  much  that  he  came 
near  being  torn  from  his  hold. 

The  wind  shrieked  through  the  rigging,  and 
seemed  to  mock  his  efforts  as  he  attempted  to  cut 
away  the  tangled  rope. 

It  was  so  dark  that  the  lad  could  see  nothing 
— not  even  his  hand,  in  which  he  held  the  knife, 
and  3^et  he  persevered,  determined  to  accomplish 
his  task. 

The  ship  rolled  so  much  that  on  deck  even  the 
sailors  could  not  stand  without  holding  fast  to 
something  by  which  to  steady  themselves.  But 
away  above  them,  eighty  feet  in  mid  air,  where 
our  young  hero  clung  to  the  mast,  how  much 
greater  and  more  violent  was  the  motion  ! 

At  one  minute  it  seemed  to  him  as  if  he  were 


158  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

being  flung  to  the  bottom  of  the  ocean,  and  the 
next  instant  the  sudden  reverse  motion  threatened 
to  hurl  him  through  miles  of  space  to  some  other 
planet. 

His  situation  was  perilous  in  the  highest  degree, 
but,  notwithstanding  this,  he  cut  away  at  the 
rigging,  little  by  little,  whenever  an  instant  could 
be  found  between  the  terrible  plunges  of  the  ship. 

And  when  he  had  accomplished  this  task  he 
commenced  his  descent.  Slowly  he  made  his  way 
down,  being  sure  of  his  hold  every  time  he  moved 
his  hands  and  legs. 

And  as  he  neared  the  deck,  when  the  strain 
upon  him  was  less,  he  felt  an  honest  pride  in 
what  he  had  accomplished,  and  he  wondered 
what  Bertha  would  say  to  him — if  she  would 
praise  him  for  the  courage  he  had  shown  and  the 
effort  he  had  made  for  her. 

Now  came  a  terrible  blast  of  wind  that  snapped 
the  topmast  with  a  triumphant  shriek  ;  and  as  the 
heavy  spar  crashed  down  through  the  rigging, 
it  struck  Ben  a  glancing  blow  upon  the  head, 
and  instantly  he  fell  as  if  lifeless  upon  the  deck. 

Commodore  Hopkins,  as  well  as  Dan  Spiker, 
had  been  on  the  lookout  for  the  lad,  but  when 
they  saw  him  strike  the  deck  with  a  heavy  thud 
and  lie  there  motionless,  a  sickening  sensation 
paralyzed  them  for  an  instant.  Then  they  made 
their  way  to  him  as  best  they  could. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 59 

"  Ben,  my  lad,  are  you  hurt  much  ?  "  said  Dan 
feelingly,  as  he  raised  him  up  with  the  commo- 
dore's aid. 

"Speak,  lad!  Tell  us  where  you  are  hurt 
most,"  continued  the  big  hearted  boatswain. 

But  no  sound  came  back  to  cheer  or  give  them 
courage — only  the  shrill  sound  of  the  wind  greeted 
their  anxious  ears.  The  lad's  body  was  limp  and 
showed  no  signs  of  life. 

"  He  is  gone,  the  poor  lad,"  said  Dan,  in  a 
broken  voice. 

"I  am  afraid  so,"  returned  Commodore  Hop- 
kins, with  deep  emotion. 

"The  cap'n  is  to  blame  for  it  all.  It  was 
cruel — beastly  cruel  to  send  the  lad  up  there." 

' '  It  was  an  outrage — little  better  than  murder. ' ' 

"  But  he  had  a  grudge  against  the  lad,  I  'low, 
and  that's  why  he  done  it." 

Commodore  Hopkins  made  no  reply  to  this, 
whether  because  he  was  too  much  overcome  with 
emotion  or  because  he  was  revolving  plans  for 
Caleb  Steel's  punishment,  I  cannot  say. 

"  Shall  I  call  the  cap'n  to  know  what  we  will 
do  with  the  lad  ?  "  asked  Dan. 

"No,"  said  Commodore  Hopkins  emphati- 
cally, as  if  he  could  not  endure  the  thought ;  "I 
will  take  charge  of  him.  We  will  take  him  to  my 
stateroom  at  once. ' ' 


XXV. 

/^N  the  way  to  his  stateroom  it  occurred  to 
^-^^  Commodore  Hopkins  that  it  would  not  do 
to  take  Ben  in  that  condition  into  the  presence  of 
his  wife  and  daughter. 

But  there  was  an  unoccupied  cabin  beside  his 
room,  and  he  decided  that  the  lad  should  be  taken 
there. 

Caleb  Steel,  the  master  of  the  vessel,  approached 
now. 

"  See  what  you  have  done,"  said  Commodore 
Hopkins  to  him,  as  he  pointed  to  the  limp  body 
of  the  lad. 

"I?"  said  Steel,  and  he  turned  white  with 
fear. 

"  Yes,  you  !  "  answered  the  merchant  firmly. 
"  It  is  little  better  than  murder.  Such  brutality 
is  beyond  my  conception." 

"The  ship  had  to  be  relieved  or  go  down," 
stammered  Steel  in  self  justification,  while  his 
head  hung  like  that  of  a  convict. 

"  I  have  no  time  now  to  settle  this  matter  with 
you.  Give  me  the  key  to  the  stateroom  adjoin- 
ing mine." 

i6o 


I 


AFI.OAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  l6l 

Caleb  Steel  delivered  up  the  key  without  a 
word,  and  slunk  away  to  another  part  of  the  ship, 
repeating  to  himself  these  words  : 

"  He  has  no  time  now  to  settle  with  me,"  and 
his  manner  showed  his  alarm  only  too  plainly. 

Ben  was  placed  upon  a  bunk  in  the  stateroom, 
and  then  Commodore  Hopkins  commenced  an 
examination,  such  as  would  have  been  made  by  a 
physician.  At  first  he  thought  the  boy  was 
dead  ;  but  when  he  placed  his  ear  over  the  lad's 
heart  he  detected  a  faint  beat. 

This  gave  him  courage,  and  he  went  to  work, 
vigorously  applying  the  remedies  best  suited  to 
restore  him. 

He  went  into  his  own  stateroom,  and  told  his 
wife  and  daughter  that  Ben  had  received  a  severe 
fall,  and  was  now  unconscious.  He  cautioned 
them  not  to  be  alarmed,  but  nevertheless  they 
were,  and  Bertha  cried  as  if  her  heart  would 
break.  They  went  with  him  to  where  our  young 
hero  lay,  unconscious  and  white,  as  if  dead. 
Mrs.  Hopkins  could  no  longer  restrain  her  tears, 
and  Bertha  buried  her  face  in  her  hands,  and 
sobbed  with  deep  emotion. 

A  large  swelling  had  now  risen  up  on  the  lad's 
forehead  where  the  spar  had  struck  him.  The 
merchant  considered  this  a  good  sign,  and  he 
worked  upon  him  with  renewed  courage. 

Bertha  held  smelling  salts  to  his  nostrils,  while 


1 62  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

her  father  and  mother  rubbed  him,  and  did 
whatever  seemed  most  Hkely  to  restore  him  to 
consciousness. 

At  last  the  muscles  of  his  face  twitched,  and 
now  came  a  long  breath,  then  a  lull  again,  which 
was  followed  soon  by  a  still  longer  respiration. 
In  another  moment  he  moved  his  right  hand, 
raised  it  to  his  eyes,  and  drew  it  back  and  forth, 
as  if  to  remove  a  film  that  had  gathered  over 
them  ;  the  lids  opened,  and  he  looked  around, 
but  seemingly  saw  nothing,  and  again  they  closed. 
But  now  his  brow  contracted,  as  if  thinking,  or 
as  if  memory  were  again  asserting  itself. 

All  looked  on  with  almost  breathless  suspense, 
wondering  what  the  next  indication  of  returning 
life  would  be. 

Bertha  stood  by  the  side  of  the  bunk,  still 
holding  the  salts  to  his  nostrils. 

Presently  he  opened  his  eyes  again  and  looked 
around — not  with  a  dull,  vacant  stare,  as  before, 
but  with  a  natural  expression,  mingled  with  sur- 
prise ;  and  they  fell  upon  Bertha,  as  she  bent 
over  him. 

For  an  instant  he  looked  serious  and  puzzled, 
and  then  a  smile  of  recognition  appeared.  How 
this  smile  lighted  up  the  faces  of  the  three 
watchers  ! 

"You  know  me,  don't  you,  Ben?"  asked 
Bertha  tenderly. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 63 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  lad  faintly,  "  of  course  I 
know  you.     But  what  has  happened?  " 

Commodore  Hopkins  briefly  explained  about 
his  fall,  and  urged  him  to  keep  quiet,  fearing 
that  too  much  excitement  might  prove  bad  for 
him. 

He  was  very  much  exhausted,  and  complained 
of  his  head  aching  severely. 

' '  The  blow  you  received  probably  caused  that, ' ' 
said  Commodore  Hopkins.  "  You  must  have 
struck  your  head  against  the  deck." 

"No,"  said  Ben,  "  it  was  something  that  hit 
me.  I  remember  dodging  my  head  as  I  heard  it 
crashing  down." 

' '  It  was  the  topgallant  mast  that  broke. ' ' 

"The  topgallant?"  repeated  Ben,  as  if  he 
could  not  realize  it. 

"Yes." 

"  And  I  had  just  left  it,"  said  the  lad  with  a 
shudder,  as  he  thought  how  near  he  came  to 
going  with  it. 

This  was  the  first  time  Bertha  and  her  mother 
had  heard  of  the  terrible  danger  to  which  our 
young  friend  had  been  exposed,  and  they 
trembled  with  fear  at  the  very  thought  of  his 
peril. 

And  now,  as  Ben  attempted  to  raise  his  left 
arm,  a  cry  of  pain  came  from  his  lips,  that  inten- 
sified the  alarm  felt  by  his  friends  around  him. 


l64  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"Oh!"  groaned  the  lad,  and  he  grew  faint 
from  the  acute  agony. 

The  tears  streamed  down  Bertha's  cheeks  as 
she  looked  with  warm  hearted,  generous  sym- 
pathy upon  the  suffering  boy. 

Commodore  Hopkins  noticed  the  limp  action  of 
the  lad's  forearm,  as  he  tried  to  raise  it. 

"  My  boy,  where  do  you  feel  the  pain?  "  asked 
the  kind  man  tenderly. 

But  no  reply  came  back. 

"  Ben  !  "  said  he,  trying  to  rouse  him. 

But  again  no  answer  greeted  him. 

"  He  has  fainted,"  said  the  commodore,  and  a 
fresh  fear  spread  over  the  faces  of  all. 

Then  he  took  hold  of  the  lad's  left  arm,  and 
examined  it  hastily. 

"This  is  what  caused  the  pain,"  said  he. 
"  It  is  broken  between  the  elbow  and  wrist. ' ' 

' '  Poor  boy  !  ' '  said  Mrs.  Hopkins  feelingly. 
' '  Bertha,  can  you  apply  the  salts  again  ?  We  must 
do  something  to  restore  him  to  consciousness." 

Bertha  did  as  she  was  directed,  and  after  a 
brief  time  he  came  out  of  his  faint,  looking  whiter 
and  more  exhausted  than  ever. 

Commodore  Hopkins  was  afraid  Ben  had  sus- 
tained internal  injuries,  and  also  that  his  skull 
might  have  been  fractured.  It  was  a  fearful 
fall,  which  might  have  produced  a  complication 
of  injuries. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 65 

Now  Ben  moved  his  head  so  that  he  got  a 
good  look  at  Bertha,  which  disclosed  the  tears  in 
her  eyes. 

"Don't  cry,"  said  he,  speaking  to  her  softly. 
* '  I  guess  the  ship  will  come  out  all  right. ' ' 

"  I  am  not  thinking  of  the  ship,"  said  she,  in 
a  way  that  made  him  realize  that  her  tears  were 
for  himself. 

This  thought  brightened  up  his  face,  and  sent 
some  color  to  his  cheeks ;  and  the  action  of 
the  blood  seemed  to  give  him  a  little  temporary 
strength,  and  for  a  time  he  felt  more  like  his  old 
self. 

Commodore  Hopkins  felt  encouraged  at  this 
change  in  his  appearance,  and  prepared  to  dress 
his  arm. 

He  understood  enough  of  surgery  to  be  able  to 
set  the  broken  bone — provided  it  was  a  simple 
break. 

He  made  some  splints,  while  Mrs.  Hopkins 
prepared  some  linen  swathes  to  wind  around  the 
arm. 

Dan  Spiker  having  got  a  minute  from  his  work, 
rushed  down  to  the  cabin  to  learn  Ben's  condition. 
The  warm  hearted  sailor  was  very  happy  when 
he  found  the  lad  was  alive  and  conscious. 

Ben  smiled  when  he  saw  him,  and  asked  after 
the  safety  of  the  ship,  which  was  still  rolling 
frightfully. 


1 66  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  It  dou't  blow  as  hard  as  it  did,  so  don't  be 
worrjnn',  lad.     We  will  come  out  all  right." 

"  I  hope  so,"  rejoined  Ben. 

"  It  is  5'ou  that  I'm  worry  in'  about,  and  not  the 
ship,"  said  Dan,  and  he  placed  his  rough,  honest 
hand  tenderly  on  the  boy's  head,  where  the  great 
bunch  had  swollen  up. 

"  Oh,  you  here,  Dan,"  said  Commodore  Hop- 
kins, who  came  in  from  his  own  stateroom  with 
the  splints.  "  Stop  a  minute  or  two  and  help  nie 
if  you  can.  Ben  has  injured  his  arm,  and  I  want 
to  put  these  splints  on  it." 

Commodore  Hopkins  was  careful  not  to  say 
before  Ben  that  the  arm  was  broken,  as  he  did 
not  wish  to  frighten  him. 

He  realized  fully  the  suffering  the  boy  must 
undergo  in  having  the  arm  set.  There  was  no 
ether  or  chloroform  on  board  that  could  be 
administered  to  him  to  deaden  the  sense  of  pain. 

The  commodore  knew  very  well  that  it  would 
not  do  to  be  tender  hearted,  no  matter  how  heroic 
the  treatment.     So  he  set  about  the  operation. 

Our  young  hero  tried  to  be  brave  and  make  no 
complaint,  but  the  pain  was  so  intense  as  the 
bones  were  pulled  back  into  place  that  he  cried 
out  as  if  pierced  to  the  heart  with  a  sword. 

But  this  one  outburst  was  all  the  complaint  that 
he  made.  His  face  grew  white  once  more,  and 
he  was  lost  in  a  dead  faint. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  iGj 

"This is  what  I  hoped  would  occur,"  said  Com- 
modore Hopkins.  ' '  He  will  uot  suffer  now  while 
we  are  setting  these  bones. ' ' 

' '  Are  both  the  bones  broken  ?  ' '  asked  Mrs. 
Hopkins. 

' '  Yes,  both  snapped  off,  and  very  near  together, 
too." 

"Will  his  arm  be  spoiled?"  asked  Bertha 
anxiously,  as  she  wiped  a  tear  from  her  eye. 

"  No,  I  hope  not,"  replied  her  father  ;  "  and 
if  the  bones  are  not  slivered  or  badly  shattered,  I 
think  I  can  bring  it  out  all  right." 

When  the  bones  had  been  carefull}''  set,  and 
the  splints  put  in  place  and  firmly  secured  by 
means  of  the  bandage,  then  restoratives  were 
applied  again  to  Ben,  and  he  returned  to  con- 
sciousness. 


XXVI. 

A  ^7"  HEN  the  wind  calmed,  and  the  ship  no 
longer  seemed  in  danger  of  being  lost, 
Captain  Steel  went  to  his  cabin,  agitated  with 
fears  and  doubts.  He  wondered  whether  Ben 
was  dead  or  alive.  He  did  not  know  the  exact 
cause  of  his  fall,  but  the  fact  that  he  landed 
on  deck  led  him  to  suppose  that  he  did  not 
tumble  from  the  topgallant  mast. 

He  was  anxious  to  know  if  his  purpose  had 
been  accomplished,  and  if  he  were  now  actually 
the  owner  of  a  nice  house  in  Jersey  City. 

"  But  what  if  he  is  not  dead  ?  "  asked  Caleb 
Steel  of  himself.  And  then  he  meditated  upon 
the  matter  for  a  long  time. 

He  dare  not  go  to  the  stateroom  where  Ben 
lay,  to  ascertain  his  condition,  for  he  knew  he 
would  see  Commodore  Hopkins  there,  and  he 
dreaded  meeting  him.  He  felt  his  own  guilt 
forcibly — so  forcibly  that  he  looked  upon  himself 
almost  as  a  murderer,  as  well  he  might. 

Ben's  limp  and   apparently  lifeless  form  was 
constantly  before  him,  till  at  last  he  hoped  that 
the  boy  was  still   alive.      The   house,  he    felt, 
i68 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 69 

would  only  haunt  him  if  it  should  fall  into  his 
hands,  and  he  condemned  himself  for  his  wicked 
purpose. 

He  realized  how  fully  he  had  incurred  Commo- 
dore Hopkins'  displeasure  by  this  cruel  act,  and 
he  saw  that  without  doubt  he  would  lose  his  ship, 
for  he  had  no  further  hope  that  the  merchant 
would  allow  him  to  command  her  again. 

Caleb  Steel  was  wretched.  He  now  began  to 
see  the  position  in  which  he  had  placed  himself. 

"  Everything  has  gone  wrong  with  me,"  said 
he  dejectedly,  "  and  it  is  all  because  I  listened  to 
Anthony  Boggs  and  yielded  to  his  devilish  pur- 
pose. I  only  wish  he  had  crashed  down  on  the 
deck  instead  of  that  lad  ;  and  if  the  fall  had 
killed  him  the  world  would  be  rid  of  one  more 
villain." 

He  drew  Boggs'  letter  from  his  pocket  with 
the  purpose  of  destroying  it,  that  it  might  no 
longer  tempt  him.  He  opened  it,  looked  at  it  for 
a  moment  with  a  scowl,  and  then  prepared  to 
tear  it  in  pieces.  There  was  a  bitter  expression 
on  his  face  and  his  eyes  snapped  fire  as  he 
clutched  the  poisoned  paper  in  his  hands,  in  the 
act  of  rending  it  into  fragments. 

"  But  stop  !  "  said  he  with  surprising  sud- 
denness. ' '  I  may  need  this  scrap  of  paper  for 
evidence.  What  if  the  boy  is  already  dead?" 
And  he  laid  the  letter  upon  a  table  before  him, 


lyo  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

and  then  turned  in  bis  chair  and  buried  himself 
in  thought. 

A  knock  sounded  presently  at  his  door. 

"  Come  in,"  said  be  mechanically,  as  he  con- 
tinued thinking,  and  Commodore  Hopkins  opened 
the  door, 

Caleb  Steel  was  not  expecting  him,  and,  in 
fact,  little  realized  what  be  bad  said  when  be 
asked  him  in. 

And  as  the  owner  of  the  ship  faced  him,  he 
grew  very  white  for  a  moment,  and  then  bis  face 
became  exceedingly  red,  and  bis  embarrassment 
was  painfully  apparent. 

The  two  men  looked  at  each  other  for  an 
instant  without  speaking,  and  then  Caleb  Steel 
dropped  his  eyes  and  seemed  to  shrink  from 
the  merchant's  penetrating  gaze — a  look  that 
charged  him  at  once  with  the  crime  be  bad 
attempted. 

This  peculiar  manner  of  censure  was  terrible  for 
Caleb  to  bear.  Ke  felt  his  own  guilt  and  knew 
that  his  very  look  betrayed  him  to  Commodore 
Hopkins.  If  the  latter  had  only  spoken,  and 
actually  charged  him  with  killing  the  boy,  be 
would  have  been  more  at  ease  and  could  have 
attempted  some  defense  ;  but  now  what  was 
there  for  him  to  say,  and  how  should  he  brave 
the  withering  silence  that  condemned  him  with  a 
force  be^'ond  the  power  of  words  to  equal  ?     At 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  171 

length  Commodore  Hopkins  spoke  with  a  pecu- 
liar emphasis,  and  said  : 

"  You  did  not  accomplish  your  purpose  after 
all." 

"  My  purpose?  "  returned  Caleb  Steel. 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  I  said." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean,  sir." 

"  Very  well,"  replied  the  merchant,  as  he  eyed 
him  sharply. 

This  answer  seemed  to  put  an  end  to  discussion, 
and  now  silence  ensued  again. 

Presently,  however,  it  was  broken  by  Commo- 
dore Hopkins. 

"  But  the  boy  is  still  alive,"  he  said,  in  a  way 
that  made  his  meaning  clear — so  clear  that  Caleb 
shrank  within  himself,  and  his  face  became  the 
picture  of  guilt. 

Another  knock  was  now  heard  at  his  door,  and 
how  welcome  was  the  sound  to  him  ! 

Instantly  he  brushed  by  Commodore  Hopkins, 
and  opened  the  door,  feeling  an  indescribable 
sense  of  relief.  There  he  found  the  first  mate, 
who  wished  to  consult  with  him  about  the  man- 
agement of  the  ship ;  for  the  storm  was  still  run- 
ning high,  and  the  vessel  was  badly  disabled. 

Caleb  Steel  was  too  shrewd  to  miss  so  good  an 
opportunity  as  this  to  escape  from  the  presence  of 
his  employer.  Consequently,  he  said  to  the  latter 
that  he  was  wanted  on  deck,  and,  without  wait- 


172  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

ing  for  a  reply,  immediately  started  for  that  part 
of  the  ship. 

Commodore  Hopkins  thus  found  himself  alone 
in  Captain  Steel's  cabin,  and  he  turned  and  started 
to  leave  the  room.  But  in  turning  his  eye  fell 
upon  an  open  letter  lying  upon  a  table.  On  the 
instant  he  thought  nothing  of  this  ;  but  before  he 
reached  the  door,  something  told  him  to  go  back 
and  see  that  letter. 

He  obeyed  this  impulse,  and  took  the  scrap  of 
paper  in  his  hand. 

It  ran  like  this  : 

New  York,  November  21st,  188 — . 
Friend  Steel  : 

I  know  you  are  too  busy,  in  preparing  for  a  start,  to  discuss 
the  matter  I  suggested  this  morning.  Of  course,  you  naturally 
felt  a  little  alarmed,  when  I  first  mentioned  it  to  you,  but  the 
more  you  think  of  it  the  easier  it  will  seem.  The  boy  is  here 
in  your  cabin  with  me  now  as  I  write  you  this  note.  He  is 
only  a  street  gamin,  as  I  told  you  before,  so  nobody  would 
ever  miss  him,  if  some  accident  should  happen  to  prevent 
his  ever  returning  to  New  York  alive.  You  have  been  my 
friend  for  a  long  time,  and  I  have  found  that  I  could  always 
depend  upon  you,  so  I  have  no  doubt  about  your  finding  some 
way  to  carry  out  our  plan. 

I  own  a  nice  house  in  Jersey  City — on  the  Heights — that  is 
worth  five  thousand  dollars  in  cash.  If  you  will  do  as  I  wish 
— and  you  understand  what  I  mean — that  house  shall  be  yours. 
I  will  give  you  a  deed  of  it,  when  you  furnish  me  with  proof 
that  this  gamin  will  never  show  up  again  in  New  York  ;  and 
you  know  as  well  as  I  that  we  could  never  feel  sure  about 
this  so  long  as  he  is  alive. 

As  I  suggested,  he  might  be  put  into  the  most  dangerous 
places — perhaps   sent  aloft   in  a  bad   storm — way  up  to  the 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GRE;aT  CITY.  1 73 

highest  point.  But  you  know  all  about  this,  so  there  is  no  use 
in  my  writing  about  that  part  of  the  program.  Remember 
the  five  thousand  dollar  house  is  yours  if  you  do  not  fail  me, 
and  I  am  so  sure  you  will  not  that  I  shall  have  the  house 
put  in  first  class  order,  ready  for  your  family  to  move  in  when 
you  return  home. 

Captain  Steel  never  disappointed  any  one,  and  I  know  he 
will  not  desert  his  old  friend— myself. 

Very  truly, 

Anthony  B , 

P.  S.    I  hope  you  will  have  a  successful  voyage. 


XXVII. 

A  S  Commodore  Hopkins  read  this  wicked 
'^*-  letter  he  felt  his  blood  boil  with  anger. 
The  whole  matter  was  clear  to  him  now. 

The  master  of  his  ship — the  man  in  whose 
hands  he  had  placed  his  own  life  and  the  lives 
of  his  wife  and  daughter — was  a  hired  assassin. 

His  indignation  was  almost  beyond  his  control, 
and  he  felt  like  having  the  miserable  scoundrel  of 
a  captain  punished  as  he  deserved.  But  he  knew 
too  well  the  diflficulties  in  the  way,  so  he  decided, 
after  becoming  a  little  calmer,  to  wait  develop- 
ments, and  not  make  any  hasty  move. 

He  folded  Boggs'  letter,  and  placed  it  in  his 
own  pocket,  feeling  that  he  had  a  right  to  strain 
propriety  in  a  case  of  this  kind.  And  now  he 
returned  to  his  own  cabin. 

"Where  is  Bertha?"  asked  he  of  his  wife 
nervously. 

"She  is  watching  with  Ben,"  returned  Mrs. 
Hopkins. 

"Oh,  yes,  yes;  I  almost  forgot  about  his 
injuries,  poor  boy.     How  is  he  now  ?  " 

"He  seems  to  be  resting  comfortably  ;  but 
174 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  175 

what  has  happened?  You  look  pale  and  agi- 
tated." 

"Yes,  I  feel  so,  and  this  is  the  cause,"  said 
he,  handing  Anthony  Boggs'  letter  to  her  to 
read, 

Mrs.  Hopkins  ran  her  eyes  quickly  over  the 
pages  and  then  shuddered,  as  she  realized  the 
awful  purpose  it  revealed. 

"Well,  he  wasn't  successful  in  this  attempt, 
anyway,"  said  Commodore  Hopkins,  "for  the 
boy  is  still  alive,  and,  so  far  as  I  can  judge,  ought 
to  recover. ' ' 

"I  certainly  hope  he  will.  He  has  a  sunny 
nature  and  a  warm  heart.  Bertha  has  already 
become  much  attached  to  him." 

* '  Yes,  I  have  noticed  she  finds  him  enter- 
taining ;  but  that  is  not  unnatural,  as  he  is  the 
only  young  person  besides  herself  on  board  with 
us." 

Mrs.  Hopkins  made  no  reply,  but  appeared 
absorbed  in  thought.  Commodore  Hopkins  re- 
ferred again  to  the  Boggs  letter,  which  he  held 
in  his  hand  and  studied  carefully. 

"  Steel's  purpose,"  he  continued,  "  was  to  get 
the  five  thousand  dollar  house  ;  but  this  man 
must  have  a  stronger  motive  than  that  for  wish- 
ing the  boy  dead. ' ' 

"  You  will  keep  the  letter,  I  suppose,"  replied 
Mrs.  Hopkins  thoughtfully. 


176  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  Most  certainly  I  shall." 

"  What  if  Caleb  Steel  misses  it  ?  " 

"Yes,  he  will  doubtless  miss  it,  but  you  can 
feel  sure  he  will  never  ask  me  about  it." 

"  Will  he  suspect  that  you  took  it  from  his 
cabin?" 

"  Without  doubt  he  will." 

"  And  will  he  make  no  effort  to  get  it  back  ?  " 

"  I  can't  think  of  any  that  he  would  be  likely 
to  make." 

' '  He  has  shown  himself  a  dangerous  man — 
one  ready  to  do  anything,  however  cruel  and 
wrong,"  said  Mrs.  Hopkins,  and  she  looked  wor- 
ried, as  if  she  feared  something  serious  might 
happen  to  her  husband. 

And  now  Commodore  Hopkins  and  his  wife 
went  into  the  stateroom  occupied  by  our  unfortu- 
nate hero. 

Close  beside  his  cot  sat  Bertha.  She  was 
watching  him  attentively,  and  doing  whatever 
she  could  to  make  his  suffering  less. 

' '  How  do  you  feel  now  ? ' '  asked  Commodore 
Hopkins. 

"  I  am  more  comfortable,  thank  you,"  said  Ben. 

' '  Have  you  had  good  attention  since  I  went 
out?  "  asked  Mrs.  Hopkins. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  he,  and  his  eyes  met  Bertha's 
with  an  expression  of  grateful  appreciation,  while 
a  faint  color  spread  over  his  cheeks. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 77 

But  much  more  plainly  did  this  crimson  tint 
show  itself  on  Bertha's  face,  as  her  eyes  fell  to 
the  floor.  She  toyed  with  her  handkerchief, 
like  one  embarrassed,  though  why  she  should 
have  felt  so  even  she  herself  could  not  have  told. 

The  honest  hearted  boatswain  now  came  into 
the  room.  He  was  just  off  watch,  and  intended 
to  spend  this  time  with  Ben. 

"  I  came  in  to  relieve  you,  so  you  can  get  some 
rest,"  said  he  to  Commodore  Hopkins. 

' '  But  will  you  not  need  the  rest  yourself  ?  ' ' 
returned  the  latter. 

"Oh,  no,"  said  he,  "and  besides,  I  would 
rather  stay  with  the  lad  than  not. ' ' 

So  it  was  settled  that  Dan  should  remain  with 
Ben  during  his  off  watch. 

"  Call  me  if  there  is  any  change  for  the 
"worse,"  said  Commodore  Hopkins,  as  he  left  the 
room. 

Bertha  was  the  last  to  say  good  night.  She 
seemed  loath  to  leave  him  as  she  lingered  beside 
his  cot  and  placed  her  soft,  white  hand  upon  his 
burning  head. 

This  touch,  so  gentle  and  sympathetic,  was 
healing  medicine  to  our  young  friend,  and  his 
eyes  expressed  clearly  the  pleasure  that  her 
tender  solicitude  had  given  him. 

And  she  noticed  this,  and  thought  of  it  when 
she  had  reached  her  own   room — thought  of  it 


178  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

with  the  simple  pleasure  of  a  child  at  making 
oue  happy  ;  and  yet  with  something  of  inspira- 
tion in  the  thought. 

The  boatswain,  realizing  how  much  his  young 
friend  needed  sleep,  urged  him  to  lie  quiet  and 
try  to  drop  into  a  doze.  And  after  a  while  he  did 
so,  and  slept  soundly  at  intervals  throughout  the 
night. 

When  Dan's  off  watch  had  expired,  he  arranged 
with  one  of  the  sailors  to  take  his  place  as  nurse, 
so  that  the  boy  would  not  be  left  alone  for  any 
length  of  time. 

As  he  came  out  of  the  room  occupied  by  Ben 
he  met  the  captain  of  the  ship. 

"Where  have  you  been?"  asked  the  latter 
nervously,  though  he  could  not  have  helped 
knowing,  as  he  saw  him  come  through  the  door. 

"  With  the  cabin  boy,  sir,"  answered  the  boat- 
swain. 

"Is  he  alive?"  inquired  Caleb  Steel,  with 
unmistakable  anxiety. 

"  Yes,  but  that's  about  all.  His  arm  is  broken, 
and  he  may  be  a  deal  worse  smashed  up,  for  all  I 
know. ' ' 

"  I  hope  not,"  said  the  captain  uneasily.  The 
latter  had  discovered  the  loss  of  the  Boggs  letter, 
and  he  was  therefore  in  a  wretched  state  of  mind. 
He  remembered  leaving  it  on  the  table,  and  felt 
certain  Commodore  Hopkins  had  taken  it. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 79 

What  would  he  not  have  given  to  get  that 
letter  back,  and  how  soon  he  would  have  torn  it 
into  a  thousand  pieces  !  But  now  it  was  too  late, 
and  the  worst  possible  phase  of  fear  haunted  him. 

"  If  the  lad  should  die,"  said  Caleb  to  himself, 
' '  and  from  what  the  boatswain  told  me  this  does 
not  seem  improbable,  where  should  I  be  then  ?  " 

Caleb  Steel's  face  became  ashy  white  at  this 
thought.  He  saw  himself  arrested,  charged  with 
murder,  and  proved  guilty  by  the  letter  of 
Anthony  Boggs. 

He  knew  Commodore  Hopkins  would  use  it 
against  him,  so  he  looked  for  no  mercy  from  the 
merchant,  who,  he  felt,  must  look  upon  him  as 
too  vile  to  live. 


XXVIII. 

T^HE  next  morning  Ben  was  somewhat  feverish, 
as  Commodore  Hopkins  had  expected,  but 
in  the  main  his  symptoms  were  favorable,  and 
throughout  the  day  he  showed  signs  of  improve- 
ment. 

He  was  terribly  bruised  and  thoroughly  shaken 
up.  His  right  ankle  was  so  badly  sprained  that 
it  gave  him  nearly  as  much  pain  as  the  broken 
arm. 

But  the  fact  that  no  signs  of  internal  injuries 
had  appeared  led  Commodore  Hopkins  to  feel 
highly  encouraged  about  his  young  patient,  who 
received  the  best  of  nursing  from  Mrs.  Hopkins 
and  Bertha. 

The  latter,  especially,  lost  no  opportunity  of 
showing  Ben  any  little  attention  that  would  add 
to  his  comfort  or  pleasure.  She  kept  wet,  cool 
napkins  constantly  upon  his  aching  head,  and 
chatted  encouragingly  in  a  sweet  and  low  tone. 

What  a  rare  luxury  this  attention  was  to  Ben  ! 
It  almost  repaid  him,  as  he  thought,  for  the 
injuries  he  had  received,  and  for  the  pain  he  was 
now  suffering. 

i8o 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  l8l 

Ever)'  one  seemed  kind,  attentive,  and  anxious 
for  his  recovery. 

But  what  seemed  stranger  than  all  else  was 
Captain  Steel's  manifest  interest  in  his  improve- 
ment. A  stronger  motive,  however,  than  that  of 
mere  kindness  prompted  this  feeling,  for  it  was 
now  a  question  that  touched  his  own  interest — 
his  own  life  even — and  this  was  the  cause  of  his 
anxiety. 

The  weather  had  cleared,  and  the  sun  shone 
bright  and  warm  upon  the  ship  as  she  sailed 
merrily  along  over  the  sparkling  waves. 

Sailors  worked  with  a  light,  cheerful  heart, 
repairing  the  damages  caused  by  the  terrible  storm 
of  the  night  before. 

Bertha  appeared  on  deck  several  times  during 
the  day,  and  filled  her  lungs  again  and  again  with 
the  soft,  exhilarating  air.  Ordinarily  she  would 
have  found  rare  enjoyment  in  the  warm  sun- 
light, but  now  she  sacrificed  this  pleasure  to 
spend  her  time  with  our  young  hero  in  the  cabin 
below. 

How  delighted  he  was  withthe  story  of  ' '  Rob- 
inson Crusoe,"  which  she  read  to  him  !  He  was 
ignorant  till  now  of  the  rich  treasure  to  be  found 
in  books,  and  this  charming  story — one  of  the 
best  that  ever  was  written — completely  fascinated 
him. 

But  doubtless  the  reader  gave  it  many  addi- 


1 82  AFI^OAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

tional  charms.  He  watched  her  as  she  pro- 
nounced the  words  musically  and  without  seem- 
ing effort.  It  seemed  to  him  as  if  she  must  have 
the  whole  story  committed  to  memory  in  order  to 
slide  over  it  so  easily. 

They  discussed  Crusoe' s  life  on  his  island  as 
fast  as  they  progressed  with  the  story. 

Bertha  got  her  map,  and  pointed  out  to  him 
where  the  supposed  island  was  situated,  and  then 
explained  the  map,  and  gave  him  a  few  hints  on 
geography.  This  interested  him  and  kindled  his 
thirst  for  more  knowledge  of  the  same  subject. 

Bertha  promised  to  teach  him  something  of 
this  study,  and  then  they  returned  once  more  to 
the  story. 

Ben  listened  with  the  keenest  attention  and 
admiration,  as  she  progressed  with  the  strange 
tale.  When  she  read  of  the  footprints  Crusoe 
saw  upon  the  beach,  he  trembled  with  excite- 
ment and  drew  nearer  to  the  fair  reader,  as  if  to 
catch  the  words  so  much  the  sooner  from  her 
pretty  lips. 

' '  Who  could  have  made  the  footprints  ?  ' ' 
interrupted  Ben  excitedly. 

' '  That  is  what  Crusoe  wanted  to  know, ' ' 
laughed  Bertha;  "  but  let  me  read  on,  and  see 
what  he  thought  about  it. ' ' 

And  as  the  story  pictured  Crusoe' s  alarm,  Ben 
took   on   something  of    the   same   feeling,    and 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 83 

looked  as  if  he  were  about  to  be  massacred  by  a 
band  of  roving  cannibals. 

"Why,  what  makes  you  so  pale?"  asked 
Bertha,  as  she  looked  up  from  her  book.  But  as 
Ben  realized  that  it  was  caused  only  by  the 
thrilling  scenes  of  which  she  was  reading,  and 
saw  how  little  excitement  she  showed,  he  blushed 
and  tried  to  appear  unconcerned. 

But  Bertha  refused  to  read  any  more  to  him  on 
that  day,  fearing  the  excitement  would  not  be 
good  for  him  ;  so  they  chatted  pleasantly  for  a 
while  about  the  story,  and  then  she  told  him 
something  of  the  books  she  had  read. 

This  subject  interested  him,  and  he  made  up 
his  mind  that  he  would  not  always  remain  igno- 
rant. 

' '  I  wish  I  could  go  to  school  and  get  some 
education,"  said  he,  when  a  pause  had  been 
reached  in  the  conversation. 

"I  wish,  too,  that  you  could,  Ben,"  said 
Bertha. 

"But  of  course  I  can't,  for  that  takes 
money,"  replied  he  wistfully. 

Bertha  looked  thoughtful  and  sober. 

"Will  you  let  me  teach  you?"  she  asked, 
after  a  pause,  her  face  brightening  up. 

"You  teach  me?  " 

"Yes." 

"  But  you  wouldn't  want  to  do  that  ?  " 


184  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  Yes,  I  should  be  glad  to. ' ' 
Thauk  you.     You  are  as  good  as  you  can 
be,"  said  Ben,  with  sincere,  childlike  gratitude, 
and  he  reached  out  his  well  arm  and  pressed  her 
hand  in  his. 

But  this  act  was  not  so  much  like  that  of  a 
child.  It  seemed  prompted  rather  by  intuition, 
for  it  was  a  most  unnatural  thing  for  a  street 
gamin  to  do. 

Bertha  stammered  in  return  some  gentle  pro- 
test as  the  color  rose  to  her  cheeks. 

' '  And  I  would  only  be  too  glad  to  have  you 
teach  me,"  continued  Ben. 

"  Then  I  shall  do  so  with  pleasure,"  answered 
his  fair  companion,  "and  we  will  commence  in  a 
few  days,  as  soon  as  you  are  a  little  stronger. ' ' 

Our  young  friend  was  very  happy  over  this 
prospect,  for  he  felt  hungry  for  a  better  educa- 
tion ;  and  it  is  just  possible  that  he  liked  the 
prospect  of  being  taught  by  so  charming  a 
teacher — most  boys  would. 

During  the  next  day  they  continued  the  read- 
ing of  "  Robinson  Crusoe."  When  it  described 
the  cannibals,  and  the  capture  of  the  one  whom 
Crusoe  named  "Friday,"  Ben's  interest  reached 
as  high  a  point  as  that  recorded  on  the  previous 
day. 

During  that  part  of  the  story  which  treated 
of  the  cannibals  he  wore  a  look  of  the  deepest 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 85 

amazement.  He  knew  he  had  seen  some  tough 
people  in  the  worst  districts  of  New  York,  and 
he  supposed  they  were  about  as  bad  a  lot  as  any 
to  be  found  in  the  world  ;  but,  as  he  put  it, 
"  they  don't  eat  each  other." 

In  fact,  he  commenced  to  doubt  the  truth  of  the 
whole  story  now,  for  he  couldn't  realize  how 
people  could  eat  one  another. 

Bertha  assured  him,  however,  that  there  are 
those  who  do  so. 

Of  course  he  believed  the  story  now,  but  he 
thought  the  cannibals  must  surely  be  a  species  of 
beast. 

On  and  on  they  read  till  but  a  few  pages  yet 
remained.  He  counted  them  one  by  one,  anxious 
for  more  and  more  of  the  charming  tale,  and  yet 
dreaded  the  approach  of  the  end. 

That  was  the  first  book  he  had  ever  heard  read, 
and  it  seemed  to  him  that  he  would  never  find 
another  so  good  ;  so  he  wished,  as  many  others 
have  wished  before  him,  that  it  might  be  pro- 
longed indefinitely. 

When,  however,  the  end  was  at  last  reached. 
Bertha  consoled  him  with  the  assurance  that  she 
had  with  her  many  other  books,  some  of  which 
she  thought  would  please  him  quite  as  well  as 
' '  Robinson  Crusoe, ' '  and  these  she  promised  to 
read  to  him. 


XXIX. 

■QAN  SPIKER  had  dropped  into  Ben's  state- 
room several  times  during  the  reading  of 
"Robinson  Crusoe."  He  had  read  it  years 
before,  but  now  it  seemed  ahiiost  new  to  him,  and 
his  interest  in  the  story  was  scarcely  less  than 
that  manifested  by  our  young  hero. 

Bertha  selected  the  ' '  Swiss  Family  Robinson  ' ' 
as  the  next  to  read,  believing  it  would  please 
Ben  nearly,  if  not  quite,  as  much  as  the  one  just 
finished. 

Dan  Spiker  managed  to  listen  to  a  good  propor- 
tion of  this  story  also,  and  he  pronounced  it  better 
than  ' '  Robinson  Crusoe. ' ' 

"Now,  Dan,"  said  Bertha — it  was  perfectly 
proper  to  speak  thus  familiarly  on  shipboard — 
' '  you  have  heard  me  read  two  big  books,  so  I 
think  it  is  your  turn  to  entertain  Ben  and  me  with 
a  story. ' ' 

"  But  I'd  a  deal  rather  hear  you  read,  miss," 
said  Dan,  trying  to  shirk  the  obligation. 

"  Well,  I  would  rather  have  a  story  from  you," 
returned  Bertha. 

"  Yes,  give  us  a  good  one,  Dan,"  chimed  in  Ben. 
i86 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 87 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  however,  he  also  would 
have  much  preferred  listeniug  to  another  story 
from  Bertha  ;  but  he  saw  she  really  wanted  to  hear 
one  of  the  boatswain's  yarns,  so  he  was  prompted 
to  urge  him  to  the  task. 

"  What  shall  it  be  ?  "  asked  Dan. 

"Oh,  anything  that  will  be  exciting,"  answered 
Bertha. 

' '  Would  you  rather  have  a  true  story  or  a 
regular  sailor's  yarn  ?  " 

"A  true  story,"  answered  Bertha. 

"  Yes,  give  us  the  true  story,"  joined  in  Ben. 

The  latter  had  now  so  far  recovered  from  his 
fall  as  to  be  up  and  dressed.  His  broken  arm  was 
supported  by  a  sling.  The  swelling  on  his  fore- 
head had  entirely  disappeared,  but  the  sprained 
ankle  was  still  very  troublesome,  and  he  could 
not  use  it  at  all. 

This  alone  kept  him  a  prisoner  in  his  state- 
room, but  a  very  happy  one,  owing  to  the  almost 
constant  presence  throughout  the  day  of  his  fair 
young  companion. 

Had  she  not  been  with  him,  his  confinement 
would  have  been  a  great  trial  to  him,  for  he  had 
spent  almost  his  whole  life  in  the  open  air,  drift- 
ing about  the  streets  of  New  York. 

' '  Well,  if  you  want  a  true  story,  I  will  tell 
you  something  that  happened  in  my  own  experi- 
ence," said  Dan  Spiker. 


1 88  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"Oh,  that  will  be  ever  so  jolly,"  exclaimed 
Bertha. 

"  Yes,  if  it's  only  exciting,"  put  in  Ben,  "  for 
you  know  that  is  what  you  said  you  want." 

"We  will  wait  and  see,"  said  she.  "And 
now  let  us  keep  quiet  so  that  Dan  can  com- 
mence. ' ' 

"  Thirteen  years  ago  last  summer,"  began  the 
boatswain,  after  clearing  his  throat  and  assuming 
an  unnatural  tone  of  voice,  as  if  to  deliver  a  dec- 
lamation, "  I  was  a  young  sailor  on  a  big  pas- 
senger steamer  bound  for ' ' 

Here  he  was  interrupted  by  the  appearance 
of  Commodore  Hopkins,  who  now  entered  the 
room. 

"  A  social  chat  you  all  seem  to  be  having," 
said  the  latter,  as  he  noticed  the  expression  of 
interest  on  the  faces  of  Ben  and  Bertha. 

"Yes,"  said  his  daughter,  "Dan  has  just 
commenced  a  story." 

' '  That  is  a  favorite  way  of  whiling  away  time 
on  shipboard,"  returned  her  father.  "When  I 
used  to  follow  the  sea  I  enjoyed  these  sailor's 
yarns  hugely." 

"But  this  isn't  a  yarn  at  all  ;  it  is  a  true 
story,"  rejoined  Bertha. 

"Then  probably  I  never  heard  it,  and  if  Dan 
doesn't  object  I  should  like  to  become  a  listener 
with  you  and  Ben. ' ' 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 89 

This  proposition  made  Dan  show  more  signs  of 
embarrassment  than  a  country  schoolboy  exhibits 
on  the  occasion  of  his  first  declamation. 

"Oh,  do  let  papa  stay  and  hear  it,"  pleaded 
Bertha,  who  saw  that  the  boatswain  appeared 
somewhat  upset,  and  now  hesitated  about  pro- 
ceeding with  his  story. 

At  length,  however,  he  yielded  to  the  solici- 
tations of  all  three,  and  prepared  for  a  fresh 
start. 


XXX. 

"  T^HIRTEEN  years  ago  last  summer,"  re- 
peated    Dan,   with    evident    embarrass- 
lilent,  "  I  was  a  sailor  on  board  a  large  steamship 
called  the  Meguntuck." 

"That's  an  awful  funny  name,"  remarked 
Ben  comically,  and  all  laughed,  including  the 
boatswain  himself. 

"  Yes,  'tis  kinder  odd,  but  I  believe  it  is  an 
Indian  name,"  replied  Dan,  and  as  no  further 
interruption  came,  he  proceeded  as  follows  : 

"  We  were  on  the  return  voyage  from  Cuba  to 
New  York.  The  steamer  had  a  full  list  of  pas- 
sengers, and  everything  went  well  till  off  Cape 
Hatteras  ;  and  then  things  took  a  bad  turn.  The 
heaviest  fog  I  ever  saw  settled  down  on  us  one 
afternoon  about  four  o'clock.  It  was  so  thick  we 
couldn't  see  anything  ;  all  night  it  seemed  to 
grow  blacker  and  blacker.  There  was  no  telling 
what  danger  we  were  running  into,  but  it  was 
just  as  safe  to  go  ahead  as  to  stop,  so  we  kept  on 
going  till  about  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
when  suddenly  we  felt  a  tremendous  crash,  and 
the  steamer  lurched  as  if  struck  a  death  blow. 
190 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  191 

"  And  before  we  had  time  to  think  of  anything 
word  was  passed  from  one  to  another  that  a  big 
hole  had  been  knocked  in  the  steamer's  side 
below  the  water  line.  This  spread  consternation 
among  all  on  board — sailors  and  passengers  alike 
— and  in  a  few  minutes  the  captain  ordered  the 
lifeboats  lowered  with  all  possible  haste. 

"  The  steamer  was  rapidly  filling  with  water, 
which  rushed  in  with  awful  force  through  the 
great  hole  made  by  some  unknown  object. 

"  But  whatever  hit  us  we  never  found  out.  If 
it  was  a  vessel,  she  might  have  gone  to  the  bot- 
tom like  a  rock,  or  slipped  quietly  away  in  the 
fog,  if  she  was  not  too  badly  smashed  by  the 
collision. 

' '  Everything  was  confusion. 

' '  The  passengers  and  most  of  the  crew  rushed 
around  in  a  regular  panic.  Everybody  grabbed 
a  life  preserver  and  crowded  toward  the  boats. 

' '  Some  of  them  acted  perfectly  crazy,  as  they 
fought  their  way  to  the  front  with,  perhaps,  but 
half  their  clothing  on.  Not  much  time  was 
wasted  in  dressing,  I  can  tell  you.  It  was  a 
terrible  struggle  for  life,  when  every  one  fought 
for  himself. 

"  But  the  saddest  of  all  was  when  a  nurse  girl 
deserted  a  baby,  and  left  him  to  the  mercy  of  the 
sea,  while  she  plunged  into  the  struggling  crowd, 
and  made  her  way  toward  the  lifeboats. 


192  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"I  tell  you,  commodore,"  said  Dan  tenderly, 
"  that  sight  touched  me  down  deep.  I  hadn't  the 
heart  to  see  that  baby  drown  with  no  one  trying 
to  save  him.  How  he  cried,  poor  little  fellow, 
when  the  nurse  left  him,  and  held  out  his  little 
hands  for  help  !  " 

"Oh,  how  terrible,"  said  Bertha  ;  "  how  could 
she  be  so  cruel  ?  ' ' 

"  Yes,  it  was  indeed  terrible." 

' '  But  what  became  of  him  ?  ' '  inquired  Ben 
eagerly. 

"  I  rescued  him  myself,"  replied  Dan,  with  the 
sparkle  of  honest  pride  in  his  eyes. 

"So  he  was  really  saved ?  And  you  did  it  all 
yourself,"  said  Bertha.  "  How  good  you  are, 
Dan!" 

The  latter  blushed  at  this  compliment. 

"Yes,  you  deserve  great  credit,"  said  Commo- 
dore Hopkins,  who  was  an  interested  listener  to 
the  boatswain's  story. 

"What  did  you  do  with  him?"  asked  Ben, 
whose  interest  was  now  excited. 

"  I  took  him  to  New  York." 

' '  Where  were  his  father  and  mother  ? ' '  inquired 
Bertha. 

' '  That  is  what  I  have  never  found  out.  I 
suppose  they  were  drowned,  but  I  don't  see  why 
they  were  not  with  the  child  before  the  boat  went 
down." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 93 

"  So  the  steamer  was  really  lost  ?  " 

' '  Yes,  she  went  down  soon  after  I  had  left 
her." 

' '  And  were  there  a  lot  of  people  drowned  ?  ' ' 

"  I  really  can't  say.  The  fog  was  so  thick  I 
couldn't  see  any  one,  and  after  the  boats  had  left 
the  steamer  they  soon  separated.  But  I  think  a 
lot  of  lives  must  have  been  lost." 

' '  How  old  was  the  child  ?  ' '  asked  Ben  thought- 
fully. 

"  I  should  think  he  was  about  a  year  or  fifteen 
months  old.  He  could  walk,  and  was  as  bright 
and  pretty  as  could  be." 

' '  And  that  was  thirteen  years  ago  ? ' '  pursued 
our  hero. 

"  Yes,  thirteen  years  ago  last  summer." 

"  Then  he  must  be  about  fifteen  now?  " 

"  Yes,  about  that,  poor  child,  if  he  is  alive," 
said  the  boatswain  sadly. 

"  Why,  don't  you  know  where  he  is?  "  asked 
Bertha,  with  surprise. 

"  No,  I  do  not,  though  I've  spent  a  lot  of  time 
and  money  hunting  for  him." 

' '  How  is  that  ?  ' '  inquired  Commodore  Hopkins. 

"  Well,  he  disappeared  very  mysteriously,  and 
that  is  all  I  know  about  it." 

"  What  do  you  suppose  became  of  him?  " 

"I  always  thought,  sir,  that  he  was  stolen 
from  me." 


194  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"Stolen!"  exclaimed  Ben,  with  a  peculiarly 
eager  expression. 

"  Yes,  stolen  ;  that's  what  I  believe." 

"  But  why  should  the  child  be  stolen  from 
you  ? ' '  asked  Commodore  Hopkins. 

"That's  the  mystery,  sir,"  returned  the  boat- 
swain, "and  I've  never  been  able  to  settle  the 
question  in  my  own  mind." 

' '  And  you  feel  sure  that  no  accident  could  have 
befallen  him,  such  as  tumbling  into  some  hole  or 
something  of  the  sort  where  he  would  have  died  ?  ' ' 

"  That  couldn't  have  happened,  for  there  were 
no  such  dangerous  places  around  my  home." 

' '  Then  it  is  possible  that  he  strayed  away  and 
got  lost. ' ' 

"  Yes,  I  know  it  is,  but  I  don't  believe  he  ever 
did  so.  As  I  said  before,  I  think  he  was  stolen 
by  some  one;"  and  the  boatswain's  manner 
indicated  that  he  had  no  doubt  upon  this  point. 

Yet  it  was  not  at  all  improbable  that  he  was  mis- 
taken, for  his  education  on  the  sea  did  not  neces- 
sarily make  him  a  good  detective. 

"  But,  if  he  were  stolen,"  argued  Commodore 
Hopkins,  "  there  must  have  been  some  object 
that  prompted  the  kidnapping," 

' '  Yes,  I  suppose  that  is  so. ' ' 

' '  You  never  heard  a  word  from  him  since 
he  disappeared  ? ' '  continued  the  commodore 
thoughtfully. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  1 95 

"  No,  not  a  word,  sir." 

"That  shows,  then,  that  he  could  not  have 
been  stolen  with  a  view  to  getting  a  reward  for 
his  return. ' ' 

"  No,  it  wasn't  that,  for  of  course  I  couldn't 
have  given  much  reward." 

' '  Do  you  imagine  he  was  taken  by  his  parents, 
or  possibly  by  the  nurse  girl  ?  ' ' 

"No,  I  don't  think  so." 

' '  That  is  the  only  explanation  I  can  think  of. ' ' 

"It  don't  seem  likely  tome,  though,  for  the 
child's  father  and  mother  were  fine  appearing 
people.  No,  sir,  I  don't  think  they  would  do 
anything  like  that,  for  they  must  have  been 
rich,  and  would  have  paid  me  handsomely  for 
saving  his  life. ' ' 

"Doubtless  you  are  right  on  that  point,  but 
tell  me  how  long  had  you  been  in  New  York 
with  the  child  when  he  disappeared  ?  ' ' 

' '  Only  about  three  months,  sir. ' ' 

"  Well,  it  is  a  mystery.  I  cannot  understand 
it,"  said  Commodore  Hopkins  finally,  as  he 
stroked  his  beard  in  thought. 

'  *  Thirteen  years  ago  last  summer — over  a  year 
old  then — about  fifteen  now — a  boy,  too — father 
and  mother  drowned — rich  folks — child  stolen — 
never  found. ' ' 

These  thoughts  shot  through  Ben's  mind  like 
lightning,  as  he  listened  to  the  boatswain's  story 


196  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

with  the  keenest  interest.  The  idea  at  once 
suggested  itself  to  him  that  he  might  be  the 
very  lost  child — "and  why  not?"  he  argued. 
"  I'm  about  as  old  as  that  boy  would  be  now, 
and  if  I  was  stolen  and  taken  to  old  Mother 
Grimmis'  den — as  I  believe  I  was — why  it  is  just 
as  likely  that  I  was  taken  from  Dan  Spiker  as 
from  anybody  else." 

"  Why,  what  makes  you  look  so  queer,  Ben?  " 
said  Bertha,  who  then  noticed  his  expression. 

Instantly  all  eyes  were  turned  upon  him,  and 
this  brought  the  color  to  his  cheeks. 

"  I  was  thinking  about  the  child,"  returned 
he  with  evident  embarrassment,  for  he  felt  that 
his  own  thoughts  had  been  read. 

"So  was  I,"  returned  Bertha  laughingly, 
"but  I  know  I  didn't  look  the  way  you  did." 

"  Why,  how  did  I  look  ?  "   asked  Ben. 

"  I  can't  tell,  only  you  looked  awfully  funny, 
with  your  head  resting  in  your  hand,  your  mouth 
open  as  if  you  were  swallowing  every  word,  and 
your  eyes  fixed  upon  Dan  in ' ' 

"  Oh,  come  now,  don't  make  fun  of  me  in  this 
way,"  interrupted  our  young  friend,  who  felt 
uncomfortable  at  being  so  freely  discussed. 

"  No,  I  am  not  making  fun,  for  truly  that  is 
just  the  way  you  looked." 

"Well,  Dan  is  the  cause  of  it,  for  his  story 
interested  me." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  197 

"  I  should  think  so  from  your  appearance,  and 
I  feel  quite  jealous  of  Dan,  for  I  read  two  whole 
books  to  you,  and  you  didn't  show  half  so  much 
interest  as  you  do  in  this  story." 

The  boatswain  protested  that  he  had  not  in- 
tended or  even  hoped  to  outdo  Bertha. 

"  It  must  be  the  application  of  the  story  that 
so  interested  Ben,"  said  Commodore  Hopkins, 
who  guessed  at  the  secret,  and  he  hit  so  near  the 
truth  that  Ben's  cheeks  again  grew  crimson. 

"I  don't  quite  understand  you,"  said  Dan, 
puzzled  at  the  merchant's  remark. 

"  I  mean  to  say  that  Ben  is  perhaps  applying 
your  story  to  himself,"  returned  the  commodore. 

At  this  the  boatswain  fell  into  his  old  custom, 
and  whistled  softly  to  himself,  as  he  eyed  Ben 
keenly. 

Bertha  looked  surprised  and  incredulous,  but 
said  nothing. 

Commodore  Hopkins  moved  about  nervously, 
as  he  watched  the  boatswain  studying  the  lad's 
features  with  such  intense  earnestness. 

Ben  himself  breathed  quickly  and  nervously, 
as  he,  with  Bertha  and  her  father,  waited  for  the 
verdict — waited  with  never  a  word  to  break  the 
silence  till  the  boatswain  should  speak. 

The  latter  is  oblivious  of  this  pause — oblivious 
of  everything  except  the  subject  in  his  mind,  as 
his  thoughts  go  back  to  the  lost  steamship,  to 


198  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

the  babe  as  he  sees  him,  with  outstretched  hands, 
crying  so  imploringly.  Then  he  passes  to  the 
scene  at  his  own  happy  home,  with  the  little 
fellow  playing  lovingly  about  his  mother  and 
sisters. 

And  now  a  light  flashes  in  the  sailor's  honest 
eyes,  and  he  almost  fancies  he  sees  before  him 
the  same  features  that  appealed  so  strongly  to 
him  on  that  terrible  night. 

But  at  length  he  shakes  his  head  with  a  sigh, 
as  if  unable  to  decide  in  his  own  mind  whether 
or  not  our  young  hero  is  the  lost  child  of  his 
story  ;  and  as  he  takes  his  eyes  from  Ben,  and 
realizes  the  situation — sees  all  waiting  for  him  to 
speak — he  says  awkwardly,  as  if  to  apologize  for 
his  manner,  "I  can't  make  up  my  mind.  His 
eyes  are  the  same,  and — well,  it's  been  so  long,  I 
won't  say." 


XXXI. 

A  I^I^  felt  disappointed  at  the  boatswain's 
"^^  words,  but  none  so  much  as  Ben  himself. 
He  had  hoped  the  sailor  might  recognize  him  as 
the  lost  child. 

Commodore  Hopkins  and  Dan  discussed  the 
matter  at  some  length,  and  then  Ben  asked  what 
the  child's  name  was. 

"  Victor  Van  Vleet,"  answered  Dan  ;  "or,  at 
least,  I  suppose  that  was  his  name,  as  I  found  it 
engraved  on  the  inside  of  a  small  gold  ring  that 
was  on  his  finger. ' ' 

' '  Victor  Van  Vleet, ' '  repeated  Bertha.  ' '  Well, 
that  name  doesn't  seem  to  fit  you  at  all,  Ben." 

"No,  I  shouldn't  know  myself  by  it,"  he 
replied. 

' '  Still,  if  it  should  turn  out  that  you  are  the 
stolen  child,"  said  Commodore  Hopkins,  "the 
fact  that  your  name  was  changed  would  not  be 
at  all  strange." 

"  And  you  know  he  only  has  one  name — Ben 
— now,"  said  Bertha,  addressing  her  father. 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,"  returned  the  latter  ;  and 
then,  turning  to  the  boatswain,  he  said,  "  Al- 
199 


200  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

though  you  cannot  identify  Ben  as  the  lost  child, 
there  is,  on  the  other  hand,  nothing,  as  I 
understand  you,  to  disprove  the  theory  that  he 
and  the  little  fellow  you  rescued  from  the  doomed 
ship  are  one  and  the  same. ' ' 

"That's  it,"  said  Dan,  still  eying  our  young 
hero  thoughtfully. 

"The  fact,  then,  that  Ben  is  about  the  right 
age,  the  probability  that  he  was  kidnapped  when 
very  young,  and  the  similarity  of  features  and 
eyes  between  him  and  the  child,  all  favor  the 
belief  that  he  is  your  lost  boy. ' ' 

Ben's  face  brightened  at  this  view  of  the  case, 
and  Bertha  seemed  much  pleased  at  the  prospect 
of  her  young  friend's  identification. 

"And  you  say  that  the  child's  parents  were 
rich?  "  said  Ben. 

"  Yes,  it  was  said  on  board  the  steamer  that 
they  were  very  rich,"  replied  Dan. 

' '  Was  this  babe  the  only  child  with  them  ?  ' ' 
asked  the  commodore. 

' '  Yes,  the  only  one  I  saw. ' ' 

"  Then,  if  his  identity  could  be  established,  he 
would  inherit  all  this  wealth,  providing  his  parents 
were  lost  at  sea,  as  you  think  they  were." 

' '  Yes,  I  suppose  so. ' ' 

"  To  be  sure  he  would." 

"  But  what  do  you  imagine  has  become  of  the 
property  ? ' ' 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  20l 

"  It  probabl}^  went  to  his  relatives." 

"  And  would  they  have  to  give  it  up  if  this 
child  could  be  found  ?  ' ' 

' '  Yes  ;  without  doubt  they  would  have  to  turn 
it  over  to  him." 

Ben's  eyes  dilated  at  this  turn  of  the  conversa- 
tion. He  imagined  himself  rich — very  rich — 
that  is,  if  he  really  was  Victor  Van  Vleet. 

But  even  if  he  was,  there  seemed  to  him  no 
way,  after  all  these  years,  in  which  he  could 
establish  the  legal  proof. 

To  Commodore  Hopkins,  however,  it  did  not 
seem  so  improbable,  for  he  already  had  a  clue,  in 
the  shape  of  Anthony  Boggs'  letter  to  Caleb 
Steel,  which  might,  as  he  thought,  unearth  the 
whole  secret. 

The  commodore  became  deeply  interested  in 
the  case,  and  talked  with  Ben  till  he  had  learned 
all  that  the  latter  knew  of  himself,  and  then,  as 
the  ship  sailed  on  day  after  day,  he  discussed  the 
matter  at  great  length  with  Dan  Spiker,  hoping 
the  boatswain  might  see  something  in  our  young 
friend  to  connect  him  with  Victor  Van  Vleet. 

It  happened  one  day  that  Ben  saw  Bertha 
writing  several  letters  to  friends  in  New  York. 
This  suggested  the  idea  to  him  of  informing 
William  Montgomery,  the  lawyer,  why  he  failed 
to  keep  his  engagement  with  him.  But  he  had 
never  learned  to  write  well  enough  for  this  pur- 


202  AI'LOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

pose,  so  he  iuvoked  Bertha's  aid,  and  she  cheer- 
fullj'  complied  with  his  request. 

In  the  letter,  Ben  told  in  brief  everything  that 
had  occurred  in  his  life  since  the  night  he  found 
the  big  St.  Bernard.  He  stated  in  full  the  part 
Perry  Boggs  and  his  father  had  acted,  including 
the  smuggling  of  himself  on  board  of  the  Bertha 
Hopkins.  He  made  clear  his  purpose  to  bring 
Boggs  senior  to  justice  if  possible,  and  said  that 
his  ship  was  bound  for  Australia,  and  would  not 
return  to  New  York  for  seven  or  eight  months. 

When  this  letter  was  finished,  placed  in  the 
envelope,  and  addressed,  Bertha  put  it  with  others 
that  were  ready  for  mailing. 

Shortly  after  this  Commodore  Hopkins  chanced 
to  notice  this  letter. 

"William  Montgomery,"  vSaidhe,  with  surprise; 
"why,  that  is  strange — my  lawyer — and  why  is 
Bertha  writing  to  him,  I  wonder?  " 

The  latter,  on  being  questioned,  said  she  had 
written  the  letter  for  Ben.  But  it  seemed  very 
odd  to  the  commodore  that  this  boy  should  know 
so  distinguished  a  lawyer  as  William  Montgomery 
well  enough  to  write  to  him  in  a  friendly  way, 

Ben,  however,  explained  the  matter  to  his 
satisfaction.  Indeed,  he  was  greatly  pleased  by 
the  lad's  recital  of  his  Bowery  experience,  and 
glad  to  know  that  he  had  won  the  friendship  of 
so  generous  and  kind  a  man  as  Mr.  Montgomery. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  203 

"  I  think,  Ben,  your  case  had  better  be  placed 
in  his  hands,"  said  he,  apparently  having  given 
the  matter  careful  thought. 

"  My  case  ?  "  questioned  Ben. 

"Yes,  the  matter  of  finding  out  if  you  and 
Victor  Van  Vleet  are  really  one  and  the  same. ' ' 

"  But  I  have  no  money  to  pay  him,  sir." 

"  Never  mind  that,  my  boy.  He  has  charge 
of  all  my  legal  matters.  I  will  write  to  him  to 
work  up  the  case,  and  charge  the  expense  to 
me." 

"  You  are  very,  very  kind,  but  I  do  not  like  to 
have  you  spend  so  much  money  for  me,"  replied 
Ben,  with  a  spirit  of  thankfulness. 

"Oh,  that's  nothing,"  said  the  commodore 
carelessly.  ' '  I  feel  enough  interest  in  your  case, 
since  listening  to  the  boatswain's  story,  to  pay 
the  expense  cheerfully  myself,  for  the  sake  of 
having  the  mystery  cleared  up.  I  will  write  to 
Mr.  Montgomery  all  the  particulars  of  the  case, 
and  instruct  him  to  go  ahead  with  it ;  but  first  I 
want  you  to  tell  me  all  you  know  about  Anthony 
Boggs,  and  his  reasons  for  wanting  to  get  you 
out  of  the  way. ' ' 

"  I  don't  know,"  answered  Ben.  "  I  told  you 
about  the  fight  with  Perry,  his  son,  about  his 
calling  to  see  me  at  the  station  house,  and  about 
his  getting  my  release  from  the  Island,  and  bring- 
ing me  on  board  this  ship." 


204  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  And  that  is  all  you  know  about  it  ?  " 

' '  Yes,  sir,  everything. ' ' 

' '  Very  well,  I  will  go  now  and  write  the  letter, ' ' 
said  the  commodore,  and  he  commenced  his  task 
at  once. 

He  stated  to  Mr.  Montgomery  all  the  essential 
facts  of  the  case  as  I  have  related  them.  He  gave 
him  a  copy  of  the  letter  Boggs  had  written  to 
Caleb  Steel,  and  narrated  the  cruel  treatment  the 
latter  had  heaped  upon  the  lad.  He  gave  it  as 
his  belief  that  there  was  some  mysterious  connec- 
tion between  Boggs  and  our  young  hero,  and  said 
that  the  fact  that  the  former  now  played  the  part 
of  a  rich  man  led  him  to  believe  that  some  foul 
play  might  have  been  practised  upon  Ben  by  the 
villain  who  sought  his  life.  The  commodore 
closed  his  letter  by  saying: 

"  You  will  remember  that  the  name  found  on 
the  child's  ring  was  '  Victor  Van  Vleet.'  This 
may  furnish  a  clue  that  will  help  you.  Do  all 
you  can,  and  charge  the  expense  to  me.  I  have 
become  much  interested  in  this  lad  Ben,  who 
says  he  knows  you,  and  did  you  a  service  in  find- 
ing and  returning  a  valuable  dog,  that  had  strayed 
away  from  home." 


XXXII. 

"  IVT'^  boy,"  said  Commodore  Hopkius  to  Ben 
one  day,  as  they  were  nearing  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope,  "  we  shall  soon  make  port.  How 
would  you  like,  upon  our  arrival,  to  return  at 
once  to  New  York  ? ' ' 

The  suggestion  surprised  the  lad,  and  he  hesi- 
tated a  moment  before  replying,  and  then  asked, 
"Shall  you  return,  too?" 

"  No,  I  do  not  expect  to  return  at  present,  but 
it  has  occurred  to  me  that  it  might  help  your 
case  if  you  were  in  New  York. ' ' 

"  Yes,  it  might — er — "  and  he  looked  at  Bertha 
for  a  moment,  and  then  added,  as  the  color 
mounted  to  his  cheeks, ' '  but  I  do  not  like  to  leave 
you." 

"Don't  want  to  leave  me?"  said  the  com- 
modore, and  he  seemed  to  emphasize  the  word 
"me." 

"  No — er —  "  returned  the  lad,  becoming  more 
and  more  confused,  "  you  have  been  so  kind  to 
me,  3'ou  know." 

It  was  only  a  few  weeks  before  this  that  Ben 
had  formed  a  rash  but  determined  purpose  to 
205 


206  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

leave  the  ship  at  the  first  possible  opportunity  ; 
but  having  met  with  such  consideration  as  he 
was  receiving  now,  it  could  not  be  expected  that 
he  would  be  in  a  hurry  to  get  away.  He  actually 
preferred  remaining  on  board  of  her  to  returning 
by  a  quick  and  agreeable  passage  to  New  York, 
where  he  might,  through  the  efforts  put  forth  in 
his  behalf,  discover  himself  to  be  the  happy 
possessor  of  a  great  fortune. 

The  charm  of  sea  life  possibly  enchained  him  to 
the  ship — yes,  perhaps  so,  and  still  there  might 
have  been  another — a  more  gentle  influence  that 
fascinated  him. 

Be  this  as  it  may,  he  made  it  plain  that  he  pre- 
ferred remaining  with  those  who  had  proved  his 
friends,  and  so  the  commodore  concluded  to  say 
no  more  for  the  present  about  his  returning  to 
New  York. 

In  the  course  of  a  few  days  the  ship  anchored 
at  Cape  Town,  where  a  stay  of  nearly  a  week  was 
to  be  made  for  the  purpose  of  repairing  the  dam- 
ages which  the  ship  had  sustained  during  the 
heavy  gale. 

Ben,  with  his  broken  arm  still  in  a  sling,  but 
evidently  doing  well,  went  ashore  with  Commo- 
dore Hopkins  and  his  family,  as  if  he  were  one  of 
them.  They  went  to  a  hotel  and  engaged  rooms 
for  the  length  of  time  their  ship  would  be  in 
port. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  207 

As  soon  as  they  were  settled  in  their  tempo- 
rary quarters,  Commodore  Hopkins  wrote  the 
following  letter  to  Captain  Steel : 

Cape  Town, 188— 

Captain  Caleb  Steel  : 

Dear  Sir — I  would  advise  you  to  take  advantage  of  our 
stay  in  this  port  by  at  once  resigning  your  command  of  the 
Bertha  Hopkins.  When  the  ship  and  cargo  are  properly 
turned  over  to  me,  as  the  owner  of  both,  I  will  pay  you  the 
amount  of  salary  due  you  up  to  this  date,  and  also  an  allow- 
ance on  the  probable  percentage  of  profit  that  would  be 
yours  were  you  to  complete  the  entire  voyage.  I  will,  more- 
over, give  you  a  sufficient  amount  to  take  you  back  to  New 
York  by  steamer. 

If  you  are  wise  you  will  accept  this  proposition  without 
delay.  Facts  of  a  sterling  character,  to  which  I  have  been  an 
eye  witness,  when  connected  with  a  writing  now  in  my  pos- 
session, force  me,  in  justice  to  my  family,  whose  lives  have 
been  intrusted  to  your  care,  to  take  this  step  unhesitatingly. 
You  will  understand  me,  I  think,  without  further  explana- 
tion. You  may  return  an  answer  to  me  at  this  hotel. 
Yours  truly, 

Elisha  Hopkins. 

On  receiving  the  cablegram  from  Anthony 
Boggs,  withdrawing  his  offer  of  the  five  thou- 
sand dollar  house,  Caleb  Steel  became  very  angry. 

"  The  infernal  villain,"  said  he,  as  he  stormed 
back  and  forth  in  his  cabin.  "  A  nice  time  to 
refuse  me  the  reward,  after  I  have  ruined  myself, 
and  all  for  him,  too." 

Just  then  a  letter  was  banded  to  him  by  a  boy. 
He  took  it  in  his  hand  and  instantly  recognized 
the  writing  as  that  of  Commodore  Hopkins. 


2o8  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Opening  it  hastily,  and  with  trembling  fingers, 
he  ran  his  eye  over  the  page,  while  the  color 
faded  from  his  cheeks,  and  he  shook  with  nerv- 
ous agitation. 

He  threw  himself  upon  a  bench  to  think — 
wretched  and  disheartened. 

"  Oh,  why  was  I  such  a  fool  !  "  he  moaned, 
* '  when  I  had  a  ship  like  this  ?  Now  I  am 
ruined,  and  my  poor  family " 

Here  he  broke  down  and  cried  like  a  child, 
penitent  and  sorrowful. 

"  Poor  boy,  poor  boy  !  "  said  he  ;  "  how  near 
I  came  to  murdering  him,  I  must  have  been 
crazy  to  listen  to  the  miserable  villain's  poison 
talk.  And  now  I  am  ruined  !  No  ship,  no 
money,  no  reputation — everything  gone.  Curse 
Anthony  Boggs,  I  say — the  wicked  scoundrel  !  " 

"Yes,  he  is  right — the  commodore  is  right," 
said  Caleb  Steel,  after  a  pause.  "  He  knows  all, 
and  has  Boggs'  letter  ;  so  of  course  he  could  not 
be  expected  to  let  me  continue  in  his  employ  any 
longer." 

The  result  was  that  Caleb  Steel  resigned  his 
position  before  the  day  was  over,  and  settled 
up  his  accounts  on  the  terms  proposed  by  Com- 
modore Hopkins.  After  this  was  done  he  made 
all  possible  haste  to  get  away  from  Cape  Town, 
and  beyond  the  sight  of  those  who  knew  his 
disgrace. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  209 

The  first  mate,  William  Maxwell,  a  deserving, 
intelligent  fellow,  was  promoted  to  the  command 
of  the  ship.  All  the  other  ofl&cers  were  advanced 
one  place,  and  Dan  Spiker  was  elevated  to  the 
position  of  mate. 

In  a  few  days  the  ship  had  been  fully  repaired ; 
then  the  anchor  was  weighed,  and  once  more  she 
put  out  to  sea  with  all  her  canvas  spread. 

'*  I  am  glad  to  be  on  board  again,"  said  Bertha, 
as  she  and  Ben  stood  on  deck,  watching  the  sea 
birds  that  sported  in  the  sunshine. 

"  So  am  I,"  returned  he,  as  he  looked  admir- 
ingly into  her  pretty  eyes. 

One  can  appreciate  a  picture,  a  sunset,  or  a 
beautiful  landscape  without  being  sentimental  ; 
so,  too,  it  is  possible  that  a  boy  should  admire 
the  charming  manners  and  pretty  features  of  so 
sweet  a  girl  as  Bertha,  and  still  look  upon  her  as 
a  friend  or  sister. 

But  while  Ben  would  soon  have  become  tired 
of  the  landscape,  he  did  not  become  weary  of 
Bertha's  presence. 

He  was  now  a  passenger  on  board  the  ship,  like 
a  member  of  Commodore  Hopkins'  own  family, 
and  he  and  Bertha  played  together,  read,  studied, 
laughed,  and  talked,  much  as  a  brother  and  sister 
would  have  done — that  is,  if  they  had  been  sev- 
enty six  times  as  fond  of  each  other  as  brothers 
and  sisters  usually  are. 


2IO  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Under  the  commaud  of  the  new  captain  every- 
thing went  smoothly,  and  all  on  board — sailors 
and  passengers  alike — seemed  in  the  best  of 
spirits. 

Dan  Spiker  was  delighted  with  his  promotion, 
and  felt,  as  he  had  good  reason  for  feeling,  from 
his  intimate  relations  with  Commodore  Hopkins, 
that  he  was  at  last  in  a  fair  way  to  become  master 
of  a  ship  in  the  near  future.  Indeed,  the  com- 
modore had  intimated  as  much  to  him,  and  he 
felt  very  happy  over  the  prospect. 


XXXIII. 

TJ^OR  ten  days  out  the  weather  was  clear  and 
beautiful.  Then  they  encountered  a  storm 
scarcely  less  powerful  than  the  one  which  caused 
Ben's  almost  fatal  fall.  Through  it,  however, 
they  passed  with  perfect  safety,  and  on  the  follow- 
ing day  sighted  a  vessel  in  distress. 

As  the  Bertha  Hopkins  drew  near  to  the  dis- 
abled ship,  Captain  Maxwell  discovered,  by  the 
aid  of  his  glass,  that  she  was  an  American  vessel. 
Presently  he  recognized  the  name  as  that  of  a 
vessel  which  had  cleared  from  the  port  of  New 
York  only  two  days  before  his  own  ship. 

The  Leo  Martin  was  the  name  of  the  unfortu- 
nate ship. 

It  seemed  that  the  storm  struck  her  with  relent- 
less fury  when  she  was  under  full  sail.  Her 
masts  were  carried  away,  and  the  hull  so  badly 
strained  that  she  soon  began  to  leak  at  an  alarm- 
ing rate. 

All  hope  of  saving  her  was  very  soon  abandoned, 
yet  the  sailors  worked  incessantly  at  the  pumps 
to  keep  her  afloat,  if  possible,  till  assistance  could 
be  had. 


212  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

The  crew  was  speedily  transferred  to  the  Bertha 
Hopkins,  and  the  Leo  Martin,  with  her  entire 
cargo,  was  abandoned — left  to  herself  upon  the 
broad  ocean,  soon  to  sink  below  the  turbulent 
waves. 

Ben  stood  on  deck  as  the  sailors  came  on  board, 
and  watched  thera  with  careful  scrutiny. 

He  knew  that  they  hailed  from  New  York,  and 
he  wondered  if  he  had  ever  seen  any  of  them  in 
the  great  city. 

Presently  he  started  back,  as  if  alarmed  or 
startled  at  some  extraordinary  discovery. 

"Why,  what  makes  you  jump  so?"  said 
Bertha.     ' '  You  are  as  white  as  you  can  be  !  " 

"I  was  frightened,  I  guess,  or  something  of 
that  sort,"  returned  our  hero,  still  trembling  with 
excitement. 

"  Why,  what  could  have  frightened  you  so?  " 
asked  Bertha,  with  surprise. 

' '  Do  you  see  that  tall  man  with  the  big  scar 
on  his  right  cheek?  "  said  Ben,  indicating. 

"Yes." 

"  Well,  he  is  the  one  that  frightened  me.  Do 
you  remember  what  I  told  you  about  the  strange 
man  stepping  between  Mother  Grimmis  and  me 
the  night  I  escaped  from  her  den  ?  ' ' 

"Yes,  certainly,  I  remember  it  perfectly." 

"  Well,  that  fellow,  that  I  just  pointed  out  to 
you,  is  the  man." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  213 

"It  doesn't  seem  possible,"  said  Bertha, 
mystified. 

"  No,  it  doesu't,  but  it  is  so  all  the  same." 

"What  shall  you  do?" 

"  I  don't  know  ;  I  am  glad  he  is  here,  and  still 
I  hate  to  meet  him." 

"  If  he  saved  you  from  that  wicked  old  woman's 
abuse,  I  should  think  you  would  be  glad  to  see 
him." 

"So  I  am  on  that  account,  and  for  another 
reason,  too,  and  still  I  feel  almost  afraid  of 
him." 

The  thought  of  Mother  Grimmis  came  to  him, 
and  he  wondered  if  the  man  had  actually  murdered 
her.  He  shuddered  at  the  very  idea.  How  terrible 
a  murderer  seemed  to  him  !  He  shrank  from 
meeting  this  fellow,  though  he  had  no  proof  that 
he  was  an  assassin. 

Ben  had  carefully  avoided,  in  all  conversation 
touching  upon  his  history,  any  reference  to 
Mother  Grimmis'  unnatural  death.  The  matter 
came  so  near  home,  he  feared  suspicion  would 
point  to  him.  He  knew  nothing,  of  course,  of 
the  result  of  the  coroner's  inquest  in  New  York  ; 
but,  nevertheless,  he  chose  not  to  reveal  to  Bertha 
his  true  reason  for  dreading  to  meet  the  man  with 
the  ugly  scar. 

Our  hero  now  felt  that  he  needed  some  advice. 
If  Mother  Grimmis  had  actually  been  killed,  it 


214  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

seemed  to  liim  that  this  man  must  have  done  the 
deed  ;  "  for,"  said  he,  "  it  occurred  on  the  very 
night  that  I  left  him  with  her.  I  will  go  and 
see  Commodore  Hopkins,  and  talk  with  him 
about  it." 

Consequently,  he  made  his  way  below,  and  in 
a  short  time  found  himself  alone  with  Commo- 
dore Hopkins,  to  whom  he  told  all  he  knew  about 
the  man. 

"And  you  think  this  man  might  have  mur- 
dered the  old  woman  ? ' '  said  the  commodore 
thoughtfully,  after  having  listened  with  much 
interest  to  Ben' s  story.  ' '  By  the  way, ' '  he  added, 
' '  I  have  brought  with  me  a  large  bundle  of 
New  York  papers  that  were  forwarded  to  me 
at  Cape  Town.  Let  us  see  what  is  said  about 
the  affair." 

Ben  shrank  at  the  thought  of  what  those  papers 
might  reveal,  but  he  offered  no  protest  to  the 
commodore's  suggestion. 

' '  I  remember  seeing  the  bold  heading  about 
the  murder  of  an  old  woman  on  the  east  side  of 
of  the  city, ' '  said  the  latter,  as  he  spread  the  papers 
out  before  him,  "  but  I  seldom  read  murder  cases, 
so  I  did  not  pay  much  attention  to  this  one. 
Ah,  here  it  is,"  he  continued,  as  he  read  the 
identical  report  of  the  coroner's  inquest,  and 
now  all  at  once  the  color  seemed  to  depart  from 
his  face. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  215 

"What,  what!"  said  he.  "Why,  I  don't 
understand  this.  A  boy  called  Ben  is  suspected 
of  having  committed  the  crime,  and  he  has  now 
disappeared  and  cannot  be  found.  This  is  alarm- 
ing— it  is,  indeed.     Charged  with  murder " 

"  Oh,  don't,  don't,  commodore,"  cried  out  our 
young  hero,  in  pain  at  this  terrible  revelation. 

He  had  dreaded,  and  even  suspected,  that  it 
might  come  to  this,  but  had  hoped  that  it  might 
not.  And  now  that  the  blow  had  come,  he  felt 
crushed,  disgraced,  disheartened. 

"  Oh,  why  do  they  say  such  wicked  things," 
he  sobbed  through  the  fast  flowing  tears,  as  his 
face  was  bent  low  upon  the  sleeve  of  his  jacket. 

For  a  time  Commodore  Hopkins  said  nothing, 
but  put  his  mind  upon  the  revelation  made  by 
the  paper. 

He  studied  the  case  logicallj^  and  quickly 
concluded  that  Ben  was  entirely  innocent  of  all 
guilt. 

Having  decided  this  in  his  own  mind,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  restore  our  hero's  courage,  by  assuring 
him  of  his  support  and  friendship  in  this  trying 
matter. 

"If  murdered  at  all,"  said  he,  "this  man 
might  have  committed  the  crime,  and  might  not. 
It  is  possible  some  one  else  did  it.  But,  regard- 
less of  all  this,  our  point  is  to  have  this  man  clear 
you.     If  we  can  only  get  him  to  confirm  what 


2l6  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

you  have  said  about  the  row  at  this  old  woman's 
den,  and  have  a  witness  to  the  same,  why,  you 
will  then  be  in  a  position  to  prove  yourself  beyond 
suspicion." 

"Then  we  must  say  nothing  about  the  mur- 
der? "  said  Ben. 

"  No,  certainly  not." 

"  What  shall  I  say  to  him,  then  ?  I  can't  help 
meeting  him  now  he  is  on  the  ship. ' ' 

"That  is  just  [what  you  should  do  by  all 
means,  and  you  should  appear  to  be  very  glad  to 
see  him  again." 

"  So  I  shall  be,  on  one  account,  for  I  think  he 
knows  something  about  me — perhaps  all  about 
who  I  am,  and  how  I  came  to  be  with  old  Mother 
Grimmis. " 

' '  It  seems  to  me,  then,  most  fortunate  that  he 
is  here. ' '  ° 

"  Yes,  I  don't  know  but  it  is,"  said  Ben,  feel- 
ing more  cheerful. 

' '  We  must  work  carefully,  so  that  he  will 
not  suspect  our  purpose.  Tell  him  how  much 
indebted  you  feel  to  him  for  saving  you  from 
old  Mother  Grimmis'  abuse.  I  will  make  it  a 
point  to  be  with  you,  so  that  I  can  watch  the 
effect.  If  he  is  guilty,  I  believe  I  can  tell  by  his 
manner. ' ' 


XXXIV. 

TN  the  latter  part  of  the  day  on  which  the  crew 
of  the  Leo  Martin  was  rescued,  it  chanced 
that  the  tall,  dark  man  with  the  ugly  scar  drew 
away  from  his  companions  and  stood  alone  by 
himself  at  a  far  end  of  the  deck. 

He  appeared  to  be  deeply  absorbed  in  medita- 
tion, as  he  looked  with  a  blank  expression  into 
space. 

While  in  this  mood,  our  5'oung  hero  approached 
quietly  to  where  he  stood.  But  the  man  was  so 
deeply  in  thought  that  he  did  not  heed  the  lad's 
step  till  the  latter  stopped  beside  him  and  held 
out  his  hand  for  a  friendly  welcome. 

This  brought  the  man  to  his  senses,  and  as  he 
turned  and  dropped  his  eyes  on  Ben,  he  jumped 
back  as  if  confronted  by  a  ghost. 

"Don't  be  alarmed,"  laughed  the  boy,  who 
rather  enjoyed  the  man's  fright. 

"  But  I  was,"  returned  the  latter,  "  for  I  would 
have  expected  as  soon  to  see  the  ghost  of  Captain 
Kidd  as  to  meet  you  here." 

"Well,  I'm  not  much  of  a  ghost,"  answered 
the  lad. 

217 


2l8  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  No,  I  should  think  not,  with  those  red  cheeks. 
You  have  made  a  wonderful  change  since  I  saw 
you  last." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so,  and  I  feel  as  much  better 
as  I  look." 

' '  But  tell  me  how  you  came  on  board  this 
ship. ' ' 

A  hasty  explanation  followed,  wherein  Ben 
said  he  had  shipped  as  cabin  boy,  but  he  care- 
fully avoided  saying  anything  about  being 
smuggled  on  board. 

"  We  must  have  sailed  about  the  same  time," 
said  the  man. 

"Yes,  that  is  so,  but  your  ship  proved  less 
fortunate  than  this  one.  On  that  account  I  am 
sorry,  but  I  am  glad  to  see  you  all  the  same." 

"Well,  Ben,  you  seem  to  be  getting  ac- 
quainted," said  Commodore  Hopkins,  who  had 
approached  quietly  and  unobserved. 

"Yes — getting  more  acquainted,"  he  replied, 
"and  I  hope  you  will  get  acquainted,  too." 

"I  should  be  glad  to,"  replied  the  merchant. 

Ben  attempted  to  introduce  the  two  men,  but  got 
somewhat  confused,  inasmuch  as  he  didn't  know 
the  stranger's  name. 

"  Hansel — John  Hansel  is  my  name,"  said  the 
man,  coming  to  Ben's  aid. 

"  I  am  glad  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Hansel,"  replied 
the  merchant  pleasantly. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  219 

"  Mr.  Hansel  is  the  man,  commodore,  who 
saved  me  from  old  Mother  Grimmis'  clutches  the 
night  I  got  away  from  her  den.  If  it  had  not 
been  for  him  I  don't  know  what  would  have 
happened  to  me. ' ' 

"Ah,  indeed!  Well,  Mr.  Hansel,  you  did  a 
noble  act.  I  congratulate  you  for  having  done 
Ben  so  good  a  turn — better,  even,  than  I  have  done 
him  since  he  came  on  board  this  ship." 

Hansel's  face  flushed  with  pride. 

"Thank  you  for  the  compliment,"  he  returned, 
"  but  what  have  you  done  for  him?  " 

Commodore  Hopkins  related  briefly  how  he 
had  protected  the  lad  from  Captain  Steel's  abuse, 
and  then,  leading  up  to  the  subject  which  he 
wished  to  discuss,  said  : 

"Ben  has  told  us  a  very  interesting  story  of 
his  life  at  the  old  woman's  den — Mother  Grimmis, 
is  that  her  name?  " 

"Yes,"  answered  Hansel,  and  then  a  frown 
passed  over  his  face,  as  if  he  regretted  having 
admitted  any  knowledge  of  the  old  woman. 

He  fixed  his  eye  sharply  upon  the  commodore 
to  try  and  make  out  his  purpose,  but  the  latter's 
genial  manner  threw  him  off  his  guard. 

"Well,  it  must  have  been  a  dramatic  scene 
when  you  sprang  between  her  and  the  boy.  It  is 
lucky,  Mr.  Hansel,  that  j^ou  were  there,  or  he 
might  have   been  killed   by  the  infuriated   old 


2  20  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

hag,"  said  the  commodore,  in  a  generous,  com- 
plimentary way. 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  answered  Hansel. 

"  I  guess  it  was,"  put  in  Ben,  "I've  wished 
ever  since  that  I  might  see  you  to  thank  you  for 
your  kindness." 

"Oh,  that's  all  right,  and  besides  you  thanked 
me  at  the  time. ' ' 

"Well,  I  didn't  take  time  for  much  of  any- 
thing, I  was  so  anxious  to  leave  that  den." 

"  I  didn't  wonder  at  your  haste  in  leaving,  but 
I  was  afraid  she  would  recapture  you." 

"No;  she  did  not,  and  I  guess  never  will 
now." 

' '  Why  do  you  say  *  now  '  so  emphatically  ?  ' ' 
asked  Hansel,  with  a  troubled  look. 

"I  didn't  intend  to  speak  it  that  way,"  said 
Ben.  "  I  only  meant  that  I  am  so  far  away  she 
cannot  get  at  me  very  well." 

"Yes,  that  is  so,"  returned  Hansel,  more 
cheerfully  than  before. 

Perhaps  he  thought  by  the  boy's  remark  that 
he  still  supposed  Mother  Grimmis  alive. 

That  certainly  would  have  been  the  natural 
conclusion,  but  whether  or  not  this  was  the 
thought  that  cheered  him  up  I  cannot  sa}'. 
Something,  however,  seemed  to  remove  a  burden 
from  his  mind,  and  his  reticent  manner  changed 
to  one  of  more  frank  geniality. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  221 

"  When  we  get  back  to  New  York  again," 
said  Commodore  Hopkins,  still  holding  to  this 
subject,  "  I  will  see  that  she  doesn't  get  him  in 
her  clutches  again — that  is,  if  he  is  not  able  to 
take  care  of  himself." 

This  remark  convinced  Hansel  that  neither  the 
commodore  nor  Ben  knew  anything  about  Mother 
Grimmis'  suspicious  death,  so  thereafter  he  talked 
with  careless  freedom. 

In  the  conversation  that  followed  Commo- 
dore Hopkins  skilfully  drew  from  Hansel  the 
fact  that  he  had  known  Mother  Grimmis  for 
fully  fifteen  years.  This  made  it  seem  probable 
that  he  might  be  well  acquainted  with  Ben's 
history. 


XXXV. 

'■  T  COULDN'T  think,  papa,  where  you  and 
Ben  were,"  said  Bertha,  who  now  joined 
them  on  deck. 

We  have  been  here  for  some  time,  having  a 
pleasant  chat  with  Mr.  Hansel, ' ' 

■'You  always  make  friends,  and  enjoy  your- 
self talking.  But  I  almost  forgot  what  I  came 
for.  Mamma  wants  to  see  you  in  the  state- 
room." 

"  All  right,  my  dear,  we  will  go  at  once ;  "  and 
turning  to  Hansel,  the  commodore  said,  "  I  will 
see  you  again  soon." 

"Aren't  you  coming  with  us,  Ben?"  asked 
Bertha,  as  they  moved  away. 

' '  I  will  be  down  directly, ' '  repHed  he  ;  and 
he  wished  he  might  join  her  at  that  instant,  but 
he  wanted  to  talk  further  with  the  newcomer. 

"He  is  a  pleasant  man,"  said  Hansel,  when 
the  commodore  had  passed  from  view. 

"Yes,  and  a  very  kind  one,"  rephed  Ben. 
"  He  is  the  owner  of  this  ship,  too." 

' '  The  owner  ? ' ' 

"Yes.  • 

222 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  223 

"  What  is  he  doing  here?  " 

"He  is  taking  a  trip  to  Australia  for  his 
daughter's  health." 

"  Well,  he  seems  to  have  taken  a  liking  to 
you." 

' '  Yes,  I  know  he  has. ' ' 

"  You  are  in  big  luck,  boy.  If  you  work  him 
right,  you  can  make  a  stake  out  of  him." 

"I  don't  want  to  work  him  at  all.  Why 
should  I  ?  " 

' '  To  make  some  money,  to  be  sure. ' ' 

"  I  don't  want  to  get  my  money  in  that  way, 
and  besides,  I  would  prefer  his  friendship. ' ' 

"  I  wouldn't  be  a  chump,  if  I  was  you.  Money 
is  the  best  friend  }'ou  can  have,  youngster." 

"Well,  suppose  I  have  both  friendship  and 
money  ;    wouldn't  that  still  be  better  ?  " 

"Why,  how  can  you  have  both?"  asked 
Hansel  curiously. 

He  was  alive  to  the  subject  of  money,  and  now 
showed  much  interest  in  the  conversation. 

"Well,  through  Commodore  Hopkins'  assist- 
ance, I  may  learn  that  I  am  already  rich,"  replied 
Ben  ;  and  he  watched  the  man  carefully,  to  note 
the  effect. 

The  lad  was  leading  up  to  the  subject  so  dear 
to  him — that  of  his  early  history. 

Hansel's  face  instantly  took  on  an  eager,  sur- 
prised look. 


224  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  Rich — you,  rich?  "  said  he,  as  if  he  doubted 
his  owu  senses. 

"Yes,  I  may  be,  but  perhaps  you  know  more 
about  it  than  I,"  said  Ben,  feeling  that  he  was 
making  good  headway. 

"  I?  " 

"Yes,  you." 

"Why,  you  talk  like  a  child." 

* '  Well,  I  don't  think  like  one,  for  I  know  pretty 
well  what  I  am  talking  about. ' ' 

Hansel  became  nervous  and  moved  about  un- 
easily. 

' '  So  you  think  I  know  more  about  you  than  you 
know  about  yourself  ?"  said  he,  after  a  moment's 
thought. 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  I  meant,"  said  the  lad,  with 
assurance. 

' '  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  I  have  very  good  reasons  for  believing  as 
I  do." 

"Suppose  you  state  them,  then." 

' '  That  would  be  useless. ' ' 

"Why  so?" 

"  Because  you  wouldn't  tell  me  any  sooner  how 
I  came  to  be  with  old  Mother  Grimmis " 

"  You  talk  as  if  I  knew,"  interrupted  Hansel. 

"  Yes,  I  know  I  do,"  was  Ben's  quiet  response. 

Hansel  eyed  Ben  sharply,  with  his  brows  knit 
in  thought. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  225 

"  Well,"  said  he,  after  a  pause,  "  what  has  that 
to  do  with  the  money — the  money  that  you 
imagine  you  are  worth  ?  ' ' 

"  Everything,  sir  ;  for  if  I  knew  my  early  his- 
tory, I  could  trace  the  money." 

A  grasping,  covetous  look  came  into  Hansel's 
face.  Money — he  wanted  a  share  of  it.  Where 
was  it  ?     How  could  it  be  got  ? 

"  Is  it  possible  this  lad  is  rich  ?  "  he  asked  him- 
self, as  he  walked  across  the  deck  with  his  hands 
thrust  deep  into  his  trousers  pockets,  and  his  head 
dropped  as  if  in  deep  study. 

Ben  watched  him  with  surprise,  and  a  still 
keener  interest,  to  try  and  make  out  his  thoughts. 

' '  What  makes  you  think  you  are  worth 
money?"  asked  Hansel,  standing  again  beside 
the  lad. 

' '  There  are  several  reasons  for  thinking  so, ' ' 
answered  Ben  cautiously. 

"  And  what  are  they?  "  pursued  the  man. 

"  I  don't  care  to  repeat  them  at  present." 

"  But  you  want  to  pump  me  and  find  out  all 
I  know,"  sneered  Hansel,  with  a  flash  of  temper. 

"  I  didn't  ask  you  to  tell  me." 

' '  No,  but  you  tried  to  find  out  without  asking. ' ' 

"Well,  I  can  find  out,"  said  Ben,  somewhat 
independently,  "just  as  I  had  planned  to  before 
you  came  on  board,  and  when  I  never  expected 
to  see  you  again. ' ' 


226  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"You  bad  better  do  so,  then." 

"  So  I  shall,  but  it  will  take  time  and  money  to 
get  at  the  facts. ' ' 

Ben  discovered  that  the  word  ' '  money  ' '  pro- 
duced a  peculiar  effect  upon  this  man,  so  he  pur- 
posely alluded  to  it. 

' '  How  much  will  it  cost  you, ' '  asked  Hansel, 
' '  and  who  will  pay  the  bills  ?  ' ' 

' '  Whatever  the  expense  is,  Commodore  Hop- 
kins will  pay  it  until  I  get  my  money. ' ' 

"Will  he?" 

"Yes." 

"  Suppose  I  could  furnish  the  information,  how 
much  would  it  be  worth  to  me?"  said  Hansel, 
with  a  grasping  look. 

Ben  trembled  with  emotion.  He  felt  that  the 
man  before  him  knew  the  story  of  his  life,  and 
how  eager  he  was  to  possess  it  ! 

"  I  don't  know,  but  I  will  ask  the  commodore 
for  you,"  he  returned. 

' '  What  shall  you  say  to  him  ?  ' '  asked  Hansel 
suspiciously,  for  he  feared  some  complication 
might  arise  that  would  be  bad  for  him. 

"I'll  tell  him  that  you  know  who  I  am,  and 
how  I  came  to  be  with  old  Mother  Grimmis,  but 
that  you  think  the  information  is  worth  something 
to  you. ' ' 

"No,  don't  put  it  in  that  way,"  said  Hansel 
nervously. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  227 

"  But  that  is  the  fact,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  I  didn't  saj^  so." 

"  Well,  I  don't  want  to  play  the  part  of  a  fool," 
said  Ben  independentl3^  "  If  you  have  no  infor- 
mation to  sell,  what  is  the  use  of  my  talking  to 
Commodore  Hopkins  ?  It  would  only  throw  him 
off  the  trail  he  is  on  now." 

"  Don't  get  too  uppish,  young  man,"  returned 
Hansel.  "  I  am  careful  what  I  say — mind  5'ou, 
what  I  actually  say — but  if  you  want  to  imagine 
that  I  know  all  about  your  early  history,  why, 
very  well  ;  I  am  ready  to  negotiate." 

"  I  think  I  understand  you  now.  I  will  see 
the  commodore  as  I  proposed. ' ' 

' '  It  will  be  no  use  for  him  to  offer  a  mean 
sum,"  remarked  the  man,  as  Ben  was  about 
to  go. 

' '  And  it  will  be  useless  for  you  to  demand  an 
unreasonable  sum,  for  you  know  he  has  another 
way  of  getting  at  the  point." 

"  I  will  be  fair.  You  may  say  that  I  will  ask 
only  a  fair  price,"  said  Hansel,  alarmed  lest  he 
lose  the  chance  to  turn  his  information  to  good 
account. 

Ben  hastened  to  Commodore  Hopkins'  state- 
room, more  excited  than  the  small  boy  is  on  the 
arrival  of  the  annual  circus.  He  repeated  the 
conversation  between  himself  and  John  Hansel, 
substantially  as  I  have  given  it, 


228  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  So  he  practically  admits  that  he  knows  who 
you  are,  and  how  you  came  to  be  with  old  Mother 
Grimmis,"  said  the  commodore. 

"  Yes,  that  is  it,"  answered  Ben  excitedly. 

"  Well,  I'm  not  surprised,  and  it  may  turn  out 
that  he  had  something  to  do  with  kidnapping 
you.  I  will  see  him  in  the  morning,  and  try  and 
fix  upon  a  plan  for  getting  whatever  informa- 
tion he  possesses." 

*' In  the  morning?"  repeated  Ben,  in  a  tone 
that  expressed  his  disappointment. 

"  Yes,  that  will  be  soon  enough.  It  is  best  not 
to  seem  too  anxious,  my  boy.  "We  are  in  for  a 
long  voyage,  so  there  will  be  plenty  of  time," 
said  the  commodore  reassuringly. 

•'Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  answered  the  lad,  but 
the  words  did  not  flow  naturally.  He  had  to 
force  them  reluctantly  from  his  lips,  though  he 
little  realized  the  danger  this  delay  might  occa- 
sion— a  delay  of  a  few  hours  only. 


XXXVI. 

nPHE  day  had  been  sunny  aud  beautiful.  In 
the  whole  broad  firmament  not  a  cloud  could 
be  seen.  The  air  was  pure  and  exhilarating,  and 
it  tempted  our  two  young  friends  into  remaining 
on  deck  long  after  the  great,  red  sun  had  dipped 
into  the  ocean,  and  sinking  from  view,  reflected 
its  gorgeous  tints  upon  the  western  horizon. 

They  watched  these  shifting  scenes  with  admi- 
ration, and  chatted  lightly  with  happy  hearts, 
as  the  gallant  ship  plowed  merrily  through  the 
waves. 

After  a  time  the  brilliant  colors  of  the  sunset 
faded,  and  a  reddish  hue  spread  quickly  over  the 
entire  heavens. 

"Why,  how  queer  everything  looks,"  said 
Bertha  ;  "  and  the  whole  sky  has  a  peculiar  tint. 
I  wonder  what  it  means  ?  ' ' 

"I  don't  know,  I'm  sure,"  replied  Ben.  "  I 
noticed  it  just  before  yoii  spoke." 

"  I  hope  nothing  bad  will  happen,  with  us 
away  out  on  this  ocean. " 

"  I  hope  not,  surely,  and  I  can't  imagine  any- 
thing except  a  storm  that  v»'ould  bother  us." 
229 


2  30  AFIvOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  It  has  been  so  pleasant  all  day  that  it 
doesn't  seem  as  if  we  could  have  much  of  a 
storm  so  soon,"  replied  Bertha,  looking  into 
Ben's  eyes. 

"  No,  that  is  so,"  returned  he  reassuringly. 

"But  on  this  ocean  they  come  up  suddenly. 
I  remember  having  read  about  frightful  wiud 
storms  sweeping  down  over  deserts  and  out  upon 
the  ocean." 

"Do  they  come  so  far  out  as  this?"  asked 
Ben,  with  a  wholesome  dread  of  another  storm, 
and  he  drew  nearer  to  the  sweet  girl  beside  him, 
as  if  for  mutual  protection. 

"  Yes,  I  think  so,"  replied  she.  "  They  blow 
ships  far  out  of  their  course  sometimes.  These 
winds  are  called  '  simoons. '  ' ' 

' '  Simoons  ?  ' ' 

"Yes;  I  believe  the  word  is  also  spelled 
'  simooms. '  It  means  a  hot,  dry  wind  that  arises 
in  the  deserts." 

"  I  hope  it  won't  strike  us,  for  I  don't  want 
another  broken  arm,"  said  Ben,  as  he  nursed  the 
one  previously  fractured  ;  and  looking  up  he  saw 
a  black,  ominous  cloud  that  had  appeared  sud- 
denly since  the  sun  went  down. 

Placing  his  hand  upon  Bertha's  arm,  with  a 
slight  shudder,  he  called  her  attention  to  his  dis- 
covery. Without  speaking,  she  drew  nearer  to 
him,  as  a  sense  of  fear  came  to  her. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  23 1 

Small  clouds  were  now  driven  hither  and 
thither.  The  reddish  shade  had  gone,  and  dark- 
ness seemed  to  fall  with  unusual  rapidity. 

"  I  am  afraid  a  storm  is  really  coming,"  said 
Ben,  and  he  tightened  the  pressure  upon  Bertha's 
arm,  and  drew  her  yet  closer  to  him  as  they 
watched  the  movements  of  the  black  clouds. 

More  and  more  threatening  they  appeared,  and 
now  the  wind  came  with  a  greater  force,  and  from 
a  different  quarter. 

The  approaching  storm  had  been  observed  by 
the  officers  of  the  ship,  and  she  was  hurriedly 
put  in  readiness  to  withstand  its  fury. 

How  little  our  two  young  friends  thought,  as 
they  leaned  side  by  side  against  the  bulwarks, 
that  this  was  their  last  night  on  board  that  beau- 
tiful ship  !  But  such  was  the  fact,  for  twelve 
hours  from  that  time  she  was  a  wreck — stranded 
upon  an  unknown  reef. 

The  velocity  of  the  wind  increased  every  min- 
ute, and  in  less  than  half  an  hour  it  was  blowing 
a  fearful  gale.  The  darkness  closed  in  upon 
them — such  an  intense  darkness  as  seldom  occurs. 

The  gallant  ship  rode  nobly  over  the  monster 
waves,  and  inspired  all  on  board  with  a  confi- 
dence in  her  powers  ;  and  well  did  she  deserve 
the  praise  bestowed  upon  her  by  officers  and 
crew,  for  never  before  had  she  shown  such  supe- 
rior seaworthiness. 


232  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

A  danger,  however,  foreign  to  the  thoughts  of 
all  on  board,  lay  buried  beneath  the  waves  for 
her  destruction. 

About  four  o'clock  in  the  morning,  while  it 
was  yet  dark,  she  struck  with  terrible  force  upon 
a  reef  in  mid  ocean.  The  shock  was  tremendous. 
Everything  on  board  the  ship  was  overturned, 
and  consternation  reigned  supreme. 

The  crew — brave,  courageous  men — hurried 
hither  and  thither,  with  fear  and  anxiety  pic- 
tured on  every  face.  What  to  do  first  no  one 
seemed  to  know.  That  the  ship  had  struck  a 
reef  all  those  familiar  with  the  sea  felt  certain,  but 
it  was  so  dark  nothing  definite  could  be  learned. 

The  wind  had  abated  somewhat,  but  the  sea 
was  still  running  high,  and  the  force  of  great 
waves  thrashing  against  the  stranded  ship 
wrenched  her  so  badly  that  it  seemed  she  must 
break  up  before  the  dawn  of  day. 

The  situation  was  perilous  in  the  extreme — the 
captain  dare  not  lower  a  boat,  and  yet  every  min- 
ute it  seemed  as  if  the  ship  must  go  to  pieces. 
Presently  an  enormous  wave  struck  her  a 
crashing  blow,  and  she  groaned  and  creaked  as 
she  ground  upon  the  reef,  and  then  settled  as  if 
breaking  up. 

Captain  Maxwell  ordered  the  boats  lowered 
at  once,  knowing  that  to  remain  longer  on  board 
would  mean  certain  death  for  all. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  253 

The  first  man  to  leave  the  ship  was  John  Han- 
sel. He  was  closely  followed  by  the  crew  of  the 
Leo  Martin,  who,  taking  him  as  a  leader,  madly 
rushed  into  the  first  boat  that  was  lowered,  and 
pushed  o£E,  regardless  of  the  safety  of  others. 

Another  boat  was  quickly  lowered,  and  Captain 
Maxwell  ordered  that  the  passengers  of  the  ship 
— Commodore  Hopkins,  Mrs.  Hopkins,  Bertha, 
and  Ben — should  be  the  first  to  enter  this  boat. 
His  order  was  obeyed,  and  then  Dan  Spiker, 
with  four  sturdy  sailors,  was  sent  down  to  man 
the  craft. 

Then  a  cry  reached  them  that  froze  their  very 
blood — a  single  piteous  appeal  from  one,  two, 
three,  a  dozen  throats,  and  all  was  over  ! 

All  knew  the  meaning  of  this  cry,  but  no  one 
spoke — feeling  that  in  the  next  few  moments, 
perhaps,  their  fate  would  be  the  same  as  that 
of  those  who  now  sent  back  this  hopeless 
appeal. 

Water  and  provisions  were  loaded  into  the  boat. 
By  this  time  the  darkness  had  so  far  lifted  that 
Dan  Spiker  discovered  that  the  reef  at  a  little  dis- 
tance beyond  rose  to  some  height  out  of  the  water, 
and  as  the  daylight  increased  he  found  that  an 
island  of  some  size  lay  before  them. 

Instead  of  attempting  to  reach  the  shore  from 
that  point,  Dan  ordered  the  boat  put  off,  and 
directed  the  men  to  circle  the  island  at  a  safe  dis- 


234  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

tance,    to   avoid  being  dashed   to  pieces  ou  the 
reef. 

On  the  opposite  side  of  the  island  a  little  cove 
was  found,  where  the  water  was  comparatively 
quiet  ;  and  here  the  boat  was  run  in,  and  all  were 
safely  lauded  upon  the  narrow  beach. 

Presently  the  third  boat,  containing  those  left 
on  the  doomed  ship,  including  Captain  Maxwell 
and  the  captain  of  the  Leo  Martin,  followed  the 
course  taken  by  Dan  Spiker,  and  in  due  time 
landed  all  safely  upon  the  beach. 

The  boats  were  firmly  secured,  and  then  the 
party  started  across  the  little  island,  thankful  for 
their  own  safety,  but  with  heavy  hearts  and  sad 
faces  as  they  thought  of  the  terrible,  fate  of  those 
aboard  the  first  boat. 

When  the}'  arrived  on  that  side  of  the  island 
where  the  treacherous  reef  stretched  far  out  under 
the  boiling  surf,  their  eyes  fell  upon  the  mangled 
bodies  of  three  of  the  unfortunate  men,  hurled  by 
the  angry  waves  far  up  on  the  coral  strand. 
Portions  of  the  shattered  boat  lay  about  them, 
showing  that  it  had  been  dashed  to  pieces  against 
the  reef.  The  bodies  of  the  remaining  victims 
had  doubtless  been  carried  out  to  sea  by  the 
undertow. 

The  scene  before  them  was  a  pitiable  one. 
vSileut  tears  streamed  down  the  sunburned  cheeks 
of  the  strong,  brave  men  of  that  little  party,  while 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  235 

Mrs.  Hopkins,  Bertha,  and  Ben  sobbed  as  if  their 
hearts  would  break. 

The  dead  bodies  were  taken  up  tenderly  by  the 
rough,  weather  beaten  hands  of  the  honest  sailors, 
and  placed  gently  upon  a  soft  green  plat.  John 
Hansel,  the  tall,  dark  man,  was  one  of  them. 
How  white  he  looked  as  he  lay  there  cold  and 
motionless  in  death  ! 

Ben  thought  of  the  kindness  he  had  shown 
him,  and  the  warm  tears  of  sympathy  flowed  fast 
as  he  recounted  these  facts  and  considered  his 
untimely  death. 

Whatever  evil  the  unfortunate  man  had  com- 
mitted in  his  brief  career  was  not  considered  now. 
If  he  had  taken  old  Mother  Grimmis'  life,  he  had 
now  paid  the  penalty  with  his  own — paid  it  so  far 
as  was  possible  in  this  world. 

He  had  the  physique,  the  bearing,  and  the  intel- 
lect of  a  man.  He  was  not  by  nature  inferior  to 
his  race  ;  but  if  guilty  of  the  crimes  of  which  he 
was  suspected,  how  crooked,  distorted,  and  scarred 
he  must  seem  in  that  world  to  which  his  spirit  had 
but  just  gone.  How  dwarfed  and  shriveled  and 
ugly  he  will  appear  when  surrounded  with  noble 
natures  developed  and  rounded  out  oto  a  pure, 
sweet  life  ! 

Let  us  hope  that  the  dead  man  was  not  guilty 
of  any  crime,  and  therefore  that  he  is  now  a 
larger  and  nobler  man  in  the  great  eternity  than 


236  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

he  had  ever  seemed  to  be  in  this  life  of  trials  and 
disappointments. 

The  ship  had  broken  up,  and  large  portions  of 
the  cargo  came  ashore,  together  with  spars,  sails, 
and  rigging.  Whatever  would  prove  of  value  to 
the  survivors  was  secured  and  taken  to  a  place  of 
safety. 

The  warm,  bright  rays  of  the  sun  now  burst 
through  the  clouds  and  shone  with  unusual  splen- 
dor. An  observation  was  taken  by  Captain  Max- 
well and  Commodore  Hopkins  which  revealed 
the  fact  that  the  ship  had  been  driven  nearly  a 
hundred  miles  out  of  her  course  by  the  storm  of 
the  night  before  ;  and  this  is  how  she  came  to 
strike  on  the  unknown  reef. 

The  islan4,  which  was  about  a  mile  long  and 
perhaps  three  quarters  of  a  mile  wide,  was  green 
and  beautiful  with  its  luxuriant  vegetation. 

On  a  little  elevation  overlooking  the  island  a 
single  grave  was  dug  for  the  three  bodies. 

All  stood  with  bowed  heads  as  Commodore 
Hopkins  read  a  chapter  from  his  pocket  Testa- 
ment ;  then,  dropping  upon  his  knees,  the  Chris- 
tian man  offered  an  appropriate  and  touching 
prayer.  This  was  followed  by  the  singing  of  a 
familiar  hymn,  which  ended  the  simple  but  im- 
pressive service.  Every  eye  was  moist,  and 
every  heart  was  stirred  as  it  had  never  been 
stirred  before. 


XXXVII. 

"DEFORE  placing  the  bodies  in  the  grave,  Cap- 
taiu  John  Stoddart,  of  the  I,eo  Martiu,  at 
the  suggestion  of  Commodore  Hopkins,  searched 
the  pockets  of  the  dead  men  to  see  if  anything 
could  be  found  which  should  properly  be  returned 
to  their  relatives. 

Nothing  of  any  consequence  was  discovered 
save  a  well  worn  pocketbook,  which  was  taken 
from  the  hip  pocket  of  John  Hansel.  In  it  was 
found  a  number  of  papers  and  several  trinkets 
which  were  supposed  to  be  of  little  value. 

The  burial  was  now  made,  and  then  the  little 
party  retired  to  a  soft,  grassy  spot  near  their 
boats.  Here  they  threw  themselves  upon  the 
ground  and  discussed  their  situation. 

They  were  on  an  unknown,  uninhabited  island, 
a  hundred  miles  or  so  from  the  track  of  all  ves- 
sels. Their  food  and  water  supply  were  limited. 
To  remain  there,  waiting  for  the  possible  arrival 
of  some  stray  ship,  meant  starvation  ;  to  push 
out  upon  the  treacherous  ocean  with  their  frail 
boats  meant  perhaps  a  still  more  horrible  death, 
yet  this  they  decided  to  do. 
237 


238  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

A  lunch  was  brought  from  the  boats  and  eaten 
with  some  relish,  for  it  was  now  eleven  o'clock 
in  the  forenoon.  After  the  meal  was  over  Cap- 
tain Stoddart  opened  the  pocketbook  belonging 
to  John  Hansel  and  began  examining  the  papers, 
to  see  if  he  could  learn  his  residence  or  any  desire 
that  he  might  have  wished  to  be  carried  out  after 
his  death. 

After  going  through  the  papers,  he  turned  to 
another  compartment  of  the  book,  and  there 
found  a  small  gold  ring — very  small,  indeed.  It 
was  carefully  done  up  in  tissue  paper,  and  around 
that  was  wrapped  a  piece  of  thin,  soft  chamois 
skin.  It  bore  the  appearance  of  having  remained 
thus  wrapped  up  for  many  months,  as  it  was 
badly  tarnished  and  looked  as  if  it  had  not  been 
worn  for  many  years. 

"A  baby's  ring,  it  looks  like,"  said  Captain 
Stoddart,  eying  it  carefully.  ' '  Perhaps  it  was  at 
one  time  worn  by  a  child  of  the  dead  man,  else  why 
should  he  have  given  it  this  affectionate  care?" 

All  eyes  were  turned  to  the  little  golden 
object,  and  each  felt  curious  to  know  its  mysteri- 
ous history. 

Various  surmises  were  given,  and  several  of  the 
old  sailors  were  inclined  to  regard  it  with  super- 
stition. Why  they  should  have  felt  so  I  cannot 
say,  for  indeed  •  there  is  no  reason  to  sustain 
superstition  in  any  form. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  239 

Ben  fixed  his  eyes  upon  it  with  more  than  an 
idle  curiosity,  as  also  did  those  who  had  listened 
to  DanSpiker's  story. 

"  May  not  that  be  the  very  ring  " — he  asked 
himself — "  the  one  that  Dan  told  us  about?  " 

Bertha  looked  at  him,  and  seemed  to  read  his 
mind,  for  her  thoughts  had  been  running  in  the 
same  channel. 

He  recognized  this,  as  they  exchanged  these 
meaning  glances,  and  then  she  whispered  some- 
thing to  her  father.  Ben  felt  that  she  was  speak- 
ing about  the  ring — knew  she  was,  even — and  he 
became  more  and  more  excited. 

Presently  the  commodore,  acting  on  Bertha's 
suggestion,  asked  that  he  might  examine  the  tiny 
ring.  His  request  was  instantly  granted,  and  it 
was  passed  to  him  by  Captain  Stoddart. 

How  small  it  looked  in  the  commodore's  large, 
strong  hands  !  He  handled  it  with  great  care, 
lest  it  might  fall,  and  become  lost  in  the  deep 
grass  on  which  he  was  sitting. 

Taking  his  handkerchief  from  his  pocket,  he 
commenced  rubbing  it  on  the  outside  to  remove 
the  tarnish.  When  it  had  grown  bright,  he  called 
Dan  Spiker  to  him,  and  asked  that  honest  toiler 
of  the  sea  if  he  had  ever  seen  it  before. 

"I  can't  say  that  I  have,  sir,"  replied  Dan, 
examining  it.  ' '  Not  this  same  one,  as  I  know 
of,  but  I  used  to  see  one  that  looked  like  it." 


240  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

All  looked  on  with  surprise  at  this  proceeding, 
and  Ben  and  Bertha  especially  became  so  anxious 
that  they  found  it  difficult  to  await  the  process  of 
investigation. 

Next  the  commodore  wound  his  handkerchief 
around  a  small  pencil  and  inserted  it  in  the  ring. 
"With  a  thorough  rubbing  the  tarnish  was  fully 
removed,  and  then,  placing  his  glasses  to  his  eyes, 
he  read  this  name  : 

Victor  Van  Vleet. 

Ben  had  watched  him  with  intense  interest, 
and  as  he  saw  his  face  light  up  he  suspected  the 
truth. 

Without  speaking,  however,  he  passed  the  ring 
again  to  Dan,  who  instantly  placed  it  to  his  eye, 
and,  after  a  moment,  said  aloud,  in  a  peculiarly 
surprised  tone : 

"  It  is  the  very  ring — Victor  Van  Vleet  !  How 
could  it  be  in  this  man's  possession  ?  " 

Every  one  looked  puzzled  and  surprised.  Com- 
modore Hopkins  smiled,  for  he  regarded  it  as  a 
very  happy  find.  Ben  moved  about  nervously, 
with  flushed  face  and  dilated  eyes,  too  excited  for 
the  moment  to  know  what  to  say. 

* '  What  does  it  all  mean  ?  ' '  asked  Captain 
Stoddart  of  Captain  Maxwell. 

'  I  don't  know,"  replied  he.     "I  am  as  much 
puzzled  as  you." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  241 

Overheariug  this,  Commodore  Hopkins  thought 
it  only  proper  to  explain,  and  he  said  : 

"  Our  friend  here,  Mr,  Spiker,  rescued  a  child 
from  a  wrecked  steamer  a  number  of  years  ago. 
Upon  its  jBnger  was  a  small  gold  ring,  inside  of 
which  was  engraved  the  name  '  Victor  Van 
Vleet. '  He  took  the  child  to  his  home  in  Jersey 
City,  and  cared  for  it  as  he  would  have  cared  for 
one  of  his  own.  After  it  had  been  with  him  for 
several  months  it  mysteriously  disappeared,  and 
has  never  been  heard  of  from  that  day  to  this. ' ' 

"And  now  we  have  the  very  ring,"  put  in 
Dan. 

"  It  is  a  remarkable  coincidence,"  said  the  two 
captains,  and  the  several  sailors  nodded  their 
agreement  with  the  officers. 

"Yes,  so  it  is,"  assented  the  commodore; 
"but  what  makes  it  still  more  remarkable  is  that 
we  believe  this  boy  ' '  (laying  his  hand  upon  Ben) 
"is  the  very  one  who  once  wore  this  ring,  and 
that  his  true  name  is  Victor  Van  Vleet." 

"  Is  it  possible?  "  exclaimed  Captain  Maxwell, 
as  if  hardly  believing  his  own  ears. 

"  Yes,  it  is  ;  and  I  believe  this  little  ring  will 
enable  us  to  prove  his  identity." 

"  I  hope  so,"  said  the  captain. 

"And  so  do  I,"  "and  I,"  "and  I,"  responded 
every  one,  for  Ben  had  become  a  great  favorite 
with  all. 


242  AFI.OAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

With  burning  cheeks  he  thanked  them  for  their 
good  wishes — thanked  them  as  an  embarrassed 
boy  naturally  would  when  he  found  himself  the 
object  of  so  many  eyes. 

"Don't  be  frightened,  Ben,"  laughed  Bertha, 
amused  at  his  confusion. 

This  remark,  together  with  the  lad's  nervous- 
ness, made  every  one  for  the  moment  forget  the 
sad  events  of  the  day,  and  join  Bertha  in  a  harm- 
less laugh  at  the  boy's  expense. 

' '  I  should  like  to  keep  this  ring  for  the  present, ' ' 
said  Commodore  Hopkins,  addressing  Captain 
Stoddart. 

"  Certainly  you  can,"  replied  the  latter.  "  It 
will  doubtless  be  of  service  to  you  and  our  young 
friend  there,"  meaning  Ben. 

"  Thank  you,"  returned  Commodore  Hopkins  ; 
and  he  wrapped  the  ring  as  before  and  placed  it 
securely  in  his  own  pocketbook. 

"Now,"  continued  he,  "we  must  commence 
thinking  of  our  own  safety.  It  is  already  nearl}'^ 
twelve  o'clock.  If  we  are  to  start  today,  we 
should  lose  no  more  time." 

"  Then  we  will  put  the  boats  in  readiness  for 
an  immediate  start,"  said  Captain  Maxwell. 

He  then  ordered  Dan  Spiker  and  a  number  of 
the  men  to  get  all  the  sails  and  rigging  that  were 
secured  from  the  wreck.  When  these  were 
brought,  sails  were  readily  bent  in  both  boats. 


L 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GRISAT  CITY.  243 

"Which  boat  shall  we  go  m,  papa?"  asked 
Bertha. 

"  lu  the  long  boat,  I  think,  my  dear,"  replied 
he. 

"  Yes,  you  will  go  in  the  long  boat,"  said  Cap- 
tain Maxwell,  who  overheard  her  question. 

"And  Ben  will  be  in  our  boat?"  asked  slie 
anxiously. 

' '  Oh,  yes,"  replied  he,  as  if  that  went  without 
saying  ;  and  then  he  announced  that  all  was 
ready  for  a  start.  Each  man  had  received  his 
orders,  and  at  once  made  for  the  boat  to  which  he 
had  been  assigned. 

"  Must  Dan  go  in  the  other  boat?  "  said  Ben 
to  Captain  Maxwell. 

"  Oh,  please  let  him  come  with  us,"  pleaded 
Bertha.      ' '  We  all  like  him  so  much. ' ' 

"  I  had  planned  to  have  him  go  in  that  boat," 
replied  the  captain,  "  but  to  please  you  and  Ben 
I  will  let  him  come  with  us. ' ' 

The  honest  sailor's  face  readily  showed  how 
pleased  he  was  at  this  change,  and  Commodore 
Hopkins,  with  Ben  and  Bertha,  felt  equally  glad 
to  have  him  with  them. 

The  two  boats  now  put  out,  and  steering  north- 
east by  north  entered  upon  a  perilous  and  uncer- 
tain voyage.  Every  heart  was  heavy  with  many 
forebodings  as  the  little  island  faded  from  view. 


XXXVIII. 

pUTTING  out  upon  the  mighty  ocean  in  frail 
boats,  searching  for  some  stray  ship  of  res- 
cue, is  a  most  depressing  undertaking. 

How  hazardous  such  a  venture  seems  when  the 
innumerable  dangers  are  considered — dangers  of 
greedy  monsters  of  the  deep,  of  mountain  waves 
and  heavy  winds,  of  starvation  and  burning 
thirst — thirst  that  dethrones  the  mind  and  turns 
civilized  man  into  a  raving,  bloodthirsty  animal. 

Our  little  party  thought  of  all  these  possibili- 
ties, as  well  as  of  the  dreaded  Malay  pirate  ships 
that  are  yet  found  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  When 
night  shut  in  upon  them,  sadder  hearts  seldom 
beat  than  theirs, 

Ben  and  Bertha  were  the  least  depressed  of  the 
party,  for  they  realized  the  dangers  less  than  the 
others,  and  their  buoyant,  youthful  spirits  enabled 
them  in  a  measure  to  throw  off  the  gloom  that 
had  now  settled  upon  the  faces  of  those  better 
able  to  realize  the  perils  of  their  position. 

"I  am  sorry,  Ben,  that  I  did  not  do  as  you 
wanted  me  to,  and  get  Mr.  Hansel's  story  before 
it  was  too  late,"  said  Commodore  Hopkins,  hop- 
244 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  245 

ing  by  this  conversation  to  divert  his  own  mind 
from  his  surroundings. 

"Yes,  I  am  sorry,  too,"  replied  the  lad  ;  "  but 
of  course  you  did  not  expect  the  accident  that 
overtook  us. ' ' 

"  No,  certainly  not.  No  one  would  have  looked 
for  such  a  terrible  blow. ' ' 

"  That  is  so.  And  perhaps,  after  all,  the  little 
ring  will  serve  us  as  well. ' ' 

"  I  hope  so,  and  believe  it  will — the  ring,  with 
the  other  evidence  in  our  possession.  Neverthe- 
less, I  wish  we  had  obtained  his  story,  for  now  it 
may  take  us  longer  to  get  at  the  facts." 

"  Of  course  I  feel  anxious  about  it,  but  I  can 
wait  all  right.  I  suppose  we  shall  never  know 
now  whether  old  Mother  Grimmis  was  murdered 
or  not,"  said  Ben,  his  head  resting  upon  his 
hand,  as  he  leaned  upon  the  rail  of  the  boat. 

"  No,  I  imagine  not,"  returned  the  commodore. 
"  The  secrets  of  her  death  were  probably  buried 
today  with  John  Hansel." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so,"  said  the  lad,  as  his  mind 
wandered  back  over  the  past ;  and  thus  thinking, 
he  lapsed  once  more  into  silence,  and  all  was  still 
— not  a  voice  was  heard  as  the  little  boat  sailed 
further  and  further  out  upon  this  vast  ocean  in 
its  almost  hopeless  voyage. 

After  a  time  drowsiness  crept  over  them,  and 
all,  save  those  on  watch,  slept  soundly.     In  the 


246  AFI^OAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

niorniug  an  observation  was  taken,  which  showed 
that  they  had  made  over  a  hundred  miles  since 
leaving  the  island.  This  brought  them  again  into 
the  track  of  vessels  plying  between  Cape  Town 
and  the  leading  ports  of  Australia. 

The  sun  rose  clear  and  beautiful.  Every  eye 
was  strained,  looking  in  all  directions  for  a  sail. 
During  the  day  the  tops  of  several  masts  were 
seen,  but  all  were  far  away.  The  following  day 
passed  with  little  to  encourage  them.  Toward 
night  the  sky  became  overcast,  and  soon  the  rain 
commenced  falling. 

For  twenty  four  hours  this  weather  continued. 
The  outlook  became  disheartening,  and  those  with 
the  most  hopeful  temperaments  felt  as  if  they 
would  never  again  see  home.  Presently,  how- 
ever, the  wind  changed,  and  the  clouds  breaking 
away,  revealed  a  sunset  of  the  rarest  and  most 
brilliant  beauty. 

This  sight  gave  the  little  party  new  courage  and 
new  hope.  As  the  gloom  of  the  storm  passed 
away,  their  depressed  spirits  rose  higher  than 
they  had  yet  gone  since  the  wreck  of  their 
gallant  ship.  This  was  a  rebound  to  natures  that 
could  not  remain  long  cast  down.  It  could  not 
have  been  a  premonition  of  a  better  fate  than  that 
which  had  stared  them  grimly  in  the  face,  though 
such  was  but  a  little  way  removed. 

Early  the  following  morning,  a  trim  clipper 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  247 

ship  discovered  their  signal  of  distress,  and,  put- 
ting about,  soon  came  alongside  of  them.  They 
were  quickly  taken  on  board. 

' '  How  long  have  you  been  in  these  boats  ?  ' ' 
asked  the  captain  of  Commodore  Hopkins. 

"  Nearly  four  days  and  nights,  sir,"  the  latter 
replied. 

"  Where  were  you  bound  when  wrecked  ?  " 

"  We  were  bound  for  Australia." 

"  Indeed.  I  have  just  come  from  there — from 
Melbourne" — said  the  ofl&cer,  with  a  strong 
English  accent,  "and  I  am  now  on  my  return 
trip  to  Liverpool." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  that,  for  I  feel  now  that  I 
would  prefer  returning  home  to  going,  as  I  had 
intended,  to  Australia." 

' '  From  your  pronunciation  I  take  it  you  are 
an  American." 

"  Yes,  America  is  my  country." 

' '  Were  you  on  a  pleasure  trip  ? ' ' 

' '  Well,  not  exactly.  I  came  principally  for  my 
daughter's  health,  but  I  have  business  interests 
in  Australia  that  I  thought  of  looking  after." 

' '  Has  your  daughter  improved  as  you  antici- 
pated?" 

"  Yes,  I  feel  more  than  repaid  on  her  account 
alone  for  all  my  loss  and  anxiety." 

"lam  glad  of  that,  and  I  suppose  your  ship 
was  well  insured." 


248  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  Yes,  but  my  personal  loss,  iu  the  shape  of 
baggage,  was  heavy.  I  am  anxious  to  get  into 
port,  so  that  I  can  get  a  new  outfit  of  clothing  for 
my  family  and  myself." 

"  I  dare  say  you  are.  Well,  in  about  twenty 
days  I  will  land  you  at  Suez." 

' '  In  twenty  days  ?  ' ' 

"  Yes,  and  in  less  time  if  we  have  good  weather 
and  a  fair  wind." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  that.  The  time  will  soon 
pass,  and  when  once  there  we  can  soon  reach 
London." 

"  Yes,  it's  a  short  run  by  the  P.  &  O.  steamer," 
said  the  captain,  as  he  smoked  his  cigar  with 
evident  relish.    ' '  Shall  you  go  direct  to  lyondon  ? ' ' 

"  Yes,  I  think  so.  Still  it  is  possible  that  my 
family  may  wish  to  go  to  Alexandria  and  a  few 
other  places  on  our  return." 

"  I  think  they  would  enjoy  it.  In  fact,  I  should 
like  such  a  trip  myself.  But  if  you  will  excuse 
me  I  will  go  and  make  the  best  arrangements 
possible  for  your  comfort." 

"  Certainly,  do  not  allow  me  to  occupy  your 
time,  and  do  not  put  yourself  out  too  much  for  us. ' ' 

"  I  will  look  out  for  that,"  returned  the  cap- 
tain heartily. 

"One  word  before  you  go,"  said  Commodore 
Hopkins,  calling  the  officer  back.  "  You  will  be 
well  paid  for  all  your  trouble  and  expense." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  249 

Whether  this  remark  iufliienced  the  captain  to 
do  his  best,  or  whether  he  did  it  from  au  inborn 
desire  to  make  others  happy,  I  cannot  say.  It 
is,  however,  certain  that  he  made  our  friends  very 
comfortable  during  the  run  to  Suez. 

Manj^  pleasing  incidents  occurred  to  help  while 
away  the  time,  but  as  they  had  no  direct  bearing 
upon  this  story,  they  cannot  be  recorded  in  the 
brief  history  of  our  young  hero. 

At  Suez  Commodore  Hopkins,  his  family,  and 
Ben  parted  company  with  the  crew  of  the  Bertha 
Hopkins,  the  former  going  to  Alexandria  by  rail- 
road, and  the  latter  direct  to  London  by  steamer. 

Dan  Spiker  disliked  leaving  them,  but  as  there 
was  no  other  wa}^  he  accepted  the  situation  as 
cheerfully  as  possible. 

Before  they  parted.  Commodore  Hopkins  gave 
him  his  card  and  told  him  he  wanted  to  see  him 
as  soon  as  he  returned  to  New  York.  He  inti- 
mated very  plainly,  much  to  the  honest  sailor's 
delight,  that  he  would  see  him  well  provided  for 
in  the  future. 

"  And,  by  the  way,  I  came  near  forgetting  to 
say  that  I  w^ant  your  testimony  in  establishing 
Ben's  identity.  This,  you  see,  is  important. 
Gain  all  the  information  you  can  relative  to  his 
case." 

"Yes,  I  will  do  so;  and  I  will  be  on  hand 
whenever  you  want  me." 


250  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  No  doubt  of  that,  Dan  ;  you  are  always  reli- 
able.    I  will  write  you  when  I  shall  be  at  home. " 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Dan;  and  shaking 
hands  heartily  with  the  commodore,  he  went  at 
once  on  board  the  London  steamer. 

He  had  already  said  good  by  to  Mrs.  Hopkins, 
Bertha,  and  Ben.  They  all  were  sorry  to  part 
with  him,  for,  though  in  manner  he  was  only  a 
sailor,  yet  his  heart  was  that  of  a  nobleman. 

In  Alexandria  Commodore  Hopkins  purchased 
a  supply  of  clothing  for  his  family,  and  Ben  as 
well.  He  remained  there  a  few  days,  during 
which  time  he  cabled  to  his  house  in  New  York, 
saying  that  he  had  been  wrecked,  that  the  vessel 
was  lost  and  crew  all  saved. 

A  reply  came  back  which  advised  his  speedy 
return,  as  business,  owing  to  some  unexpected 
change,  needed  his  personal  attention. 

This  decided  him  to  go  at  once  to  lyiverpool, 
and  there  take  a  steamer  for  New  York. 


XXXIX. 

TN  less  than  three  weeks  from  their  departure 
from  Alexandria  our  friends  found  them- 
selves, one  bright  winter  morning,  sailing  into 
New  York  harbor.  How  homelike  everything 
looked  !  Coney  Island,  Staten  Island,  the  forts, 
the  shipping,  and  the  tall  spires  and  big  build- 
ings of  Brooklyn  and  New  York,  were  all  familiar 
objects  to  them.  They  had  had  a  delightfully 
pleasant  journey  home,  and  Bertha's  enthusiasm 
knew  no  bounds.  She  thought,  evidently,  of  the 
many  friends  who  would  welcome  her  back  to 
their  merry  circle.  She  was  well  and  strong 
now,  and  what  a  round  of  enjoyment  she  would 
find  in  the  winter  sports,  which  had  but  just  com- 
menced ! 

But  with  our  young  hero  the  situation  was 
quite  different.  What  friends  had  he  to  wel- 
come him  home  ?  He  thought  of  this,  and  of  the 
danger  of  being  arrested  and  thrust  into  prison  on 
the  charge  of  murder.  He  knew,  however,  that 
he  could  prove  his  innocence,  but,  nevertheless, 
the  idea  of  being  arrested  was  depressing. 

Another  thought,  however,  made  him  feel  still 
251 


252  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

more  sad  and  lonely.  This  was  the  idea  of  being 
separated  from  the  commodore  and  his  family — 
from  Bertha  in  particular. 

He  had  learned  to  love  them  as  the  kindest  of 
friends,  who  had  made  his  life  sunny  and  happy. 
What  a  sweet,  charming  nature  Bertha  had 
revealed,  and  how  companionable  and  entertain- 
ing she  had  proved  herself  to  him  ! 

Now  this  association  he  felt  must  come  to  an 
end,  and  the  thought  sickened  him,  and  made  his 
heart  ache  with  a  sense  of  untold  loneliness. 

Bertha  had  been  standing  by  his  side,  looking 
at  the  familiar  scenes  on  every  hand,  which  fully 
engaged  her  attention.  She  therefore  gave  him 
no  thought  for  the  time.  In  his  depressed  mood 
he  felt  this  as  a  neglect,  though  it  was  but 
natural  that  she  should  have  done  as  she  did. 
Looking  up  now,  however,  she  saw  in  his  eyes 
tears  which  he  was  no  longer  able  to  repress. 
She  at  once  suspected  the  truth,  and  in  feeling 
tones  asked  him  what  made  him  so  sad. 

"Everything,"  he  answered  slowly,  and  in  a 
broken  voice. 

The  question  was  a  delicate  one  to  answer. 

"  I  am  very  sorry,"  she  replied.  "  I  thought 
you  would  feel  glad  to  get  home  again." 

"I  ought  to,  I  suppose,  and  I  would  if  we 
could  all  live  as  we  have  during  the  last  three  or 
four  months. ' ' 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  253 

"  But  of  course  we  can't  on  shore." 

"  No,  I  know  it ;  and  the  thought  of  the  change 
is  what  makes  me  feel  so  lonely." 

"  I  wish  you  wouldn't  feel  so." 

"  I  wish  so,  too,  but  I  can't  help  it." 

' '  If  you  find  that  fortune,  then  you  ought  to 
be  happy.  I  should  think  you  would  be  glad  to 
get  back  to  New  York  to  look  after  it. ' ' 

"  So  I  am  on  that  account,  and  yet  if  I  had  a 
dozen  fortunes  I  would  not  be  as  happy  as  I  was 
on  our  ship  when  you  used  to  read  to  me,  and  we 
had  so  many  good  times  playing  games  and  roam- 
ing around  on  deck." 

"  We  did  have  delightful  times,  didn't  we?  " 
said  Bertha,  with  enthusiasm. 

"  Yes,  we  did,  and  now  they  are  all  over — for- 
ever, perhaps." 

"  Oh,  don't  say  that.  We  may  all  go  on  a  sea 
voyage  again  some  time. ' ' 

'  'I'm  afraid  that  '  some  time  '  is  a  long  way  off. ' ' 

"Well,  but  there's  lots  of  fun  to  be  had  in 
New  York,  you  know." 

"Yes,  if  one  only  has  friends,  as  you  have. 
You  know  I  have  no  friends  here  that  I  care  much 
for." 

"  Mamma  and  papa  are  here.  Don't  you  care 
for  them  ?     I  am  sure  they  are  your  friends. ' ' 

"  Of  course  I  care  for  them.  They  have  been 
so  kind  and  good  to  me,  and  so  have  you,  too." 


2  54  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  Then  if  you  count  me  you  have  three  friends. ' ' 

' '  I  hope  I  may  consider  you  one. ' ' 

"Why  shouldn't  you?" 

"  I  don't  know,  unless — well,  perhaps  your  old 
friends  will  occupy  all  your  time." 

"You  offend  me,  Ben,  if  you  really  believe 
what  you  say." 

"I  don't  want  to  believe  it,  surely,  and  I 
wouldn't  offend  you  for  the  world." 

"  Why  do  you  say  such  foolish  things,  then?" 

"I  don't  know,  unless  it  is  because  I  felt 
afraid  you  would  not  care  for  me  any  more  as  a 
friend." 

"And  you  felt  badly  about  it?  " 

"I  did,  indeed." 

"  Well,  you  were  mistaken.  I  do  not  forget  one 
so  easily — one  whom  I — who  has  been  so  agree- 
able as  you  have,"  said  Bertha,  blushing. 

The  color  in  her  cheeks  seemed  to  warm  our 
hero's  over  chilled  spirits. 

"Thank  you,"  said  he.  "I  am  glad  to  feel 
sure  about  it.  I  really  didn't  think  you  would 
forget  me." 

' '  I  can' t  understand  why  you  should  have  ielt 
that  way.  How  did  you  imagine  I  could  forget 
you,  when  I  shall  see  you  so  often  ?  " 

"  See  me  so  often?  " 

"  Yes,  of  course.  Don't  you  intend  to  come  to 
see  us  at  all  ?  " 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  255 

"  Nothing  would  please  me  so  much." 

"  What,  then,  would  keep  you  from  coming  ?  " 

"Well,  you  live  in  great  style,  you  know," 
said  he,  with  some  confusion,  "  and  your  friends 
are  rich  and  educated.  You  know  the  way  I 
have  lived,  and  that  I  have  never  been  to  school, 
so  I  thought  you  and  your  mother  might  not 
want  me  to  call  at  your  home." 

Bertha  looked  pained  at  this  remark,  and  said 
tenderly  : 

"I  appreciate  your  feelings,  Ben,  and  under- 
stand you  now,  but  you  are  entirely  wrong  in 
supposing  those  reasons  would  tell  against  you. 
You  can  get  the  education,  and  whether  you 
turn  out  rich  or  not  will  make  no  difference  to 
us.     Mamma  and  papa  think  everything  of  you. ' ' 

These  words  were  sw-eet  to  Ben,  and  made  him 
feel  happy  once  more. 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  com- 
modore and  his  wife,  who  now  joined  them. 
Passengers  crowded  closely  about  on  deck,  and 
exchanged  pleasant  remarks  with  each  other. 
Many  were  saying  good  by  to  the  friends  they  had 
made  on  the  steamer,  for  they  knew  there  would 
be  too  much  confusion  after  the  steamer  landed. 

When  our  friends  were  finally  landed  at  the 
dock,  and  had  gone  through  the  wearisome  cus- 
tom house  formalities,  Commodore  Hopkins  called 
a  cab  driver,  and  after  exchanging  a  word  with 


256  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

him,  motioued  to  his  wife  to  follow  him.  He 
placed  the  small  parcels  inside  the  cab,  and  then 
handed  his  wife  and  Bertha  in. 

"  Good  by,"  said  Ben  sadly,  at  the  same  time 
extending  his  hand  to  Commodore  Hopkins. 

"  Why,  what  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  the  latter. 
"  Do  you  suppose  I'm  going  to  let  you  shift  for 
yourself  now  ?  Jump  into  the  carriage,  and  drop 
such  foolish  notions  at  once. ' ' 

Ben  flushed  with  gratitude,  and  obeyed  the 
command  most  willingly. 

"  So  you  are  going  home  with  us,  Ben?  "  said 
Bertha,  surprised  as  well  as  he. 

"  It  seems  so,"  returned  the  lad,  "though  I 
certainly  didn't  expect  to  do  so." 

"Well,  I  am  glad  you  are.  We  will  have 
just  as  good  a  time  as  we  did  on  our  ship,  and 
I  have  ever  so  many  nice  books  that  I  will  read 
to  you,  unless  you  prefer  to  read  them  yourself." 

' '  Thank  you  a  thousand  times.  You  are  all 
very  kind.  I  would  rather  hear  you  read  the 
books — I  enjoy  them  better." 

The  commodore  looked  at  "his  wife  and  winked 
slyly. 

"Yes,  you  will  enjoy  yourself  at  our  home, 
Ben,"  said  he.  "  Bertha  and  her  friends  can 
entertain  you  as  well  as  she  and  Dan  Spiker  did 
on  shipboard,  when  you  were  laid  up  with  a 
broken  arm,  and  almost  a  broken  head. ' ' 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  257 

"  Poor  Dan  !  "  said  Bertha.  "  How  he  hated 
to  leave  us  at  Suez  !  I  like  him,  if  he  is  only  a 
sailor." 

' '  The  fact  that  he  is  simply  a  sailor  is  no  sen- 
sible reason  why  you  should  dislike  him,"  said 
her  father. 

"  But  many  people  would,  you  know." 

"  Many  people  are  fools,  too,  you  know.  Dan 
is  an  intelligent,  noble  hearted  fellow.  I  liked 
him  myself,  and  shall  give  him  a  chance  to  show 
the  mettle  that  there  is  in  him." 

"  Oh,  good,  papa,  I  hope  you  will  !  I  wonder 
if  he  has  arrived  home  yet  ?  " 

"Probably  not,  but  he  will  be  here  soon.  I 
shall  drop  him  a  letter  telling  him  we  are  here,  so 
that  he  will  call  at  my  ofl&ce,  as  he  promised." 

The  cab  now  stopped  before  the  commodore's 
beautiful  residence.  The  party  alighted  and 
passed  in. 

' '  Now  make  yourself  at  home,  Ben, ' '  said  the 
commodore. 

"  He  is  afraid  we  wouldn't  want  him  to  visit  us 
here,"  remarked  Bertha. 

"Nonsense,"  replied  her  father,  as  he  passed 
into  another  room.  ' '  You  must  entertain  him 
so  well  that  he  will  see  how  foolish  that  idea  is. ' ' 

"  Now,  you  see,  Ben,  what  I  told  you  is  so," 
said  Bertha. 

' '  Yes,  I  see  it  is,  and  I  believed  you  then. ' ' 


258  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

A  servant  showed  him  to  a  pretty  room  on  the 
second  floor,  which  he  was  to  occupy  while  a 
guest  of  the  family. 

It  was  handsomely  furnished,  and  looked  very 
inviting.  He  had  never  seen  so  pretty  a  sleeping 
room  before,  and  he  wondered  how  the  soft, 
plump  bed  would  feel  to  him. 

During  the  day  Commodore  Hopkins  advised 
him  to  remain  in  the  house,  and  not  expose  him- 
self to  any  unnecessary  danger,  until  the  order 
for  his  arrest  could  be  quashed.  He  was  only  too 
glad  to  act  upon  this  advice,  for  he  was  uneasy 
and  anxious,  fearing  his  whereabouts  might  be 
discovered. 

' '  Here  is  a  letter  I  have  written  to  my  attorney, 
Mr.  Montgomery,"  said  the  commodore.  "I 
will  read  it  to  you." 

It  ran  thus  : 

My  Dear  Mr.  Montgomery  : 

I  arrived  home  this  morning.  My  family  came  with  me, 
also  Ben,  whose  true  name  is  doubtless  Victor  Van  Vleet.  We 
are  all  well,  notwithstanding  the  shipwreck  which  came  near 
costing  us  our  lives.  I  hope  you  can  find  it  convenient  to  call 
and  see  us  this  evening.  I  want  to  know  what  j'ou  have  done 
in  the  boy's  case.  I  have  some  new  facts  to  give  3-ou  which 
will  go  far  to  sustain  the  theory  I  advanced  in  my  letter 
mailed  to  you  from  Cape  Town.  The  order  of  arrest  which  is 
now  out  against  him  must  be  quashed,  and  the  sooner  it  is 
done  the  better. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Elisha  Hopkins. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  259 

A  messenger  boy  was  called,  and  the  letter  was 
sent  to  Mr.  Montgomery  at  his  residence. 

In  the  evening  papers  of  that  day,  Anthony 
Boggs  read  the  arrival  of  Commodore  Hopkins 
and  family,  and  this  simple  announcement  struck 
terror  to  his  guilty  soul.  He  had  learned  from 
Captain  Caleb  Steel  everything  that  occurred  on 
the  Bertha  Hopkins  up  to  the  time  he  was  driven 
from  his  command.  He  knew,  therefore,  of  the 
strong  friend  Ben  had  found  in  Commodore  Hop- 
kins. He  knew  also  that  the  latter  had  in  his 
possession  the  letter  that  he  wrote  to  Captain 
Steel,  which  urged  that  our  hero  should  be  put 
where  he  would  never  again  return  alive  to  New 
York.  The  thought  of  these  facts  made  him 
shudder  and  grow  white  with  alarm.  He  dreaded 
the  reckoning  that  he  now  felt  was  sure  to  come. 


XI.. 

VyiLLIAM  MONTGOMERY  received  Com- 
modore Hopkins'  letter,  and  shortly  after 
eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  called  at  the  latter' s 
residence. 

' '  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you  home  again  after 
your  long  absence,"  said  he,  shaking  hands 
heartily  with  the  commodore  and  his  wife  ;  ' '  and 
here  is  Bertha,"  he  added,  taking  her  proffered 
hand.  ' '  I  should  hardly  know  you,  you  have 
grown  so  round  and  rosy.  Your  red  cheeks  are 
very  becoming  to  you.  I  am  delighted  to  see  you 
looking  so  well." 

"  Thank  you  ;  but  I  am  afraid  you  flatter  me, 
Mr.  Montgomery,"  said  Bertha,  with  a  blush. 

"No,  indeed,"  protested  he,  while  the  com- 
modore, with  the  sparkle  of  pleasure  in  his  eyes, 
led  him  to  where  our  hero  stood  watching  them. 

' '  This  is  our  young  friend — the  one  who  found 
and  returned  your  big  St.  Bernard.  Don't  you 
recognize  him?  " 

"  No,  I  certainly  should  not  have  known  him," 
replied  Mr.  Montgomery ;  and  then  addressing 
Ben,  he  said  : 

260 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  261 

"Is  it  possible,  my  boy,  that  you  are  the  same 
one?" 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  I  am,"  said  Ben,  as  the  lawyer 
pressed  his  hand  \varml5^ 

"So  you  are  ;  your  voice  sounds  natural,  and 
now  I  recognize  your  features,  but  you  have 
changed  even  more  than  Bertha.  Then  your  face 
was  thin  and  sallow,  and  now  you  are  the  picture 
of  health." 

He  might  have  noted  a  greater  change  yet  in 
the  lad's  dress,  for  his  thin,  tattered  suit  had 
been  replaced  by  neatly  fitting  clothes  made  from 
a  rich,  dark  material. 

He  was  undoubtedly  a  handsome  boy  as  he  stood 
there  with  flushed  face,  the  cynosure  of  all  ej^es. 

Bertha  realized  this,  and  felt  proud  that  she 
could  call  him  her  friend.  It  seemed  to  her  that 
he  never  looked  so  well  before. 

The  surprise  manifested  by  Mr.  Montgomery 
told  her  that  he  was  astonished  at  seeing  such  a 
fine  looking  boy,  one  so  well  dressed,  and  with 
such  a  manly,  intelligent  face. 

"Well,  what  good  news  have  you  for  us?" 
asked  Commodore  Hopkins  presently.  ' '  What 
have  you  heard  about  Ben  ?  " 

"  So  far  as  I  can  say,  the  news  is  good,"  replied 
Mr.  Montgomery. 

' '  I  suppose  you  received  my  letter  mailed  from 
Cape  Town?" 


262  AFIvOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  Yes,  but  it  reached  me  only  a  few  daj^s  ago." 

"  It  must  have  been  delayed,  then,  for  it  was 
mailed  over  two  months  ago. ' ' 

"I  noticed  the  date,  and  was  unable  to  ac- 
count for  the  long  time  it  took  to  come  from 
Cape  Town." 

' '  I  am  sorry  it  did  not  reach  you  sooner. ' ' 

"  I  regret  the  delay  myself.  Artemas  Diggs, 
the  detective  who  started  in  the  case,  has  been 
out  of  town  for  the  last  two  weeks.  I  have  been 
waiting  for  him  to  return." 

"  So  I  suppose  nothing  has  been  done  toward 
investigating  the  matter?  " 

"  No,  nothing  since  your  letter  came,  I  am 
sorry  to  say.  I  thought  it  best  to  wait  for  Mr. 
Diggs,  who  is  an  able  detective. ' ' 

"  Doubtless  that  was  the  wisest  plan.  I  know 
Artemas  Diggs  by  reputation,  having  often  seen 
his  name  in  connection  with  important  cases. ' ' 

"  Yes,  he  is  well  known.  When  Ben  failed  to 
come  to  my  office  as  he  had  promised,  I  feared 
old  Mother  Grimmis  had  recaptured  him  at  that 
time,  so  I  started  Mr.  Diggs  on  the  case.  The 
information  he  got,  together  with  that  contained 
in  your  letter,  points  strongly  to  foul  play." 

Mr.  Montgomery  then  handed  the  commodore 
a  paper  that  contained  an  account  of  the  coroner's 
inquest. 

"  I  have  seen  that,"  observed  the  commodore  ; 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  263 

"  but  are  there  no  new  developments  regarding 
the  old  woman's  death?  " 

"No,  nothing  since  the  inquest — none  what- 
ever— and  I  doubt  seriously  if  she  was  murdered. 
Artemas  Diggs  holds  to  the  same  view." 

'  *  How  does  he  account  for  her  sudden  death  ?  ' ' 

"  He  thinks  she  died  from  the  effects  of  strong 
drink,  either  directly  or  indirectly." 

' '  Well,  whatever  caused  her  death  will  make 
no  difference  to  us  now,  as  we  have  the  evidence 
to  prove  that  she  was  alive  when  Ben  left  her 
hovel." 

"  Is  it  possible  ?  ' ' 

"Yes,  there  is  no  doubt  about  it.  We  saw 
the  man  who  came  to  the  boy's  rescue,  and  he 
confirmed  Ben's  story  in  every  particular." 

The  commodore  then  related  the  circumstances 
that  brought  John  Hansel  on  board  the  Bertha 
Hopkins — told  all  that  passed  between  the  unfor- 
tunate man  and  Ben ;  gave  an  accountof  the  wreck, 
of  the  drowning  and  burial,  and  finally  told  the 
story  of  the  small  gold  ring  as  it  was  related  in  a 
previous  chapter. 

"Victor  Van  Vleet  ;  the  name  is  cut  plainly," 
said  Mr.  Montgomery,  as  he  held  the  tiny  ring 
close  to  his  eye.  ' '  This  will  go  far  toward  prov- 
ing the  boy's  identity.  Mr.  Diggs  will  arrive 
home  tonight.  I  will  put  him  at  work  on  the 
case  again   tomorrow  morning,  and  considering 


264  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

the  points  we  have  already  in  our  possession,  I 
shall  hope  for  big  results. ' ' 

' '  I  hope  so,  too ;  but  in  the  mean  time  we  must 
have  the  order  of  arrest  quashed,  if  possible." 

"  That  is  a  rather  difficult  thing  to  do,  but  I 
hope  we  can  effect  it." 

Ben  looked  grave  at  this  answer,  for  he  dreaded 
the  possibility  of  an  arrest. 

"The  evidence  is  so  direct  I  should  think  it 
ought  to  be  fixed  all  right,"  said  Commodore 
Hopkins,  with  a  look  of  disappointment. 

"  So  it  ought.  I  will  see  the  district  attorney 
tomorrow  morning,  and  present  the  case  to  him. 
He  will  doubtless  want  to  see  you,  so  I  will  make 
an  appointment  for  the  meeting." 

' '  All  right ;  I  will  be  on  hand  whenever  you 
want  me,  for  I  am  anxious  to  get  the  indictment 
quashed,  so  that  Ben  may  feel  free  and  easy  once 
more. ' ' 

' '  Yes,  it  must  be  done.  I  will  give  the  matter 
my  personal  attention,"  said  Mr.  Montgomery, 
as  if  he  felt  more  than  an  ordinary  professional 
interest  in  the  case. 

"When  this  question  is  disposed  of,  we  can 
go  ahead  with  the  other,  I  suppose  ? ' '  said  the 
commodore. 

"  Oh,  that  will  be  started  tomorrow  morning, 
without  reference  to  this  matter." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,  for  the  sooner  that  villain 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  265 

of  a  Boggs  is  bronglit  to  justice  the  better  it  will 
be  for  all." 

"So  it  will.  My  suspicions  were  aroused 
against  him  long  before  your  letter  came,  and  now 
I  am  convinced  of  his  villainy." 

' '  I  wonder  what  is  the  cause  of  his  malice 
toward  Ben  ?  " 

' '  I  imagine  it  has  something  to  do  with  mone)' 
or  he  would  never  have  been  willing  to  offer  such 
a  reward  as  he  did  to  Caleb  Steel,"  said  the 
lawyer,  as  he  rose  to  go. 

Turning  to  Ben  he  invited  him  to  call  at  his 
house  with  the  commodore's  family,  saying  that 
Mrs.  Montgomery  would  be  very  glad  to  see  him. 

Ben  thanked  him  politely,  and  wondered  at  his 
own  good  fortune  at  being  entertained  by  such 
hospitable  people.  A  few  months  ago  he  was  a 
half  starved,  half  clothed  street  gamin,  without 
friends,  or  any  prospects  to  encourage  him  ;  now 
he  was  the  guest  of  one  of  New  York's  best 
families,  with  warm  friends,  and  a  prospect  of 
finding  himself  the  possessor  of  a  large  fortune. 


A  RTEMAS   DIGGS   reported  at  Mr.    Mont- 
gomery's   office    early   on    the    following 
morning,  and  received  the  instructions  that  he 
was  to  follow. 

Half  an  hour  from  that  time  he  might  have 
been  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  Anthony  Boggs' 
residence.  He  had  commenced  his  work  in 
earnest,  and  was  now  watching  for  the  butcher's 
wagon. 

Ben  might  have  wondered  what  this  long 
headed  detective  wanted  of  a  butcher's  wagon, 
had  he  known  what  Mr.  Diggs  was  doing,  but 
the  latter  had  a  well  formed  plan.  Presently  the 
long  looked  for  wagon  appeared,  and  Mr,  Diggs 
quickly  noted  the  name  of  the  proprietor  and  his 
location.  A  few  moments  later  he  entered  the 
butcher's  shop. 

"Good  morning,"  said  Mr.  Diggs,  with  a 
pleasant  smile. 

"  Good  morning,"  returned  the  proprietor, 
hoping  he  had  a  new  customer. 

"  I  see  you  have  some  choice  beef  ;  I  think  you 
may  send  a  roast  to  my  house." 
266 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  267 

"Yes,  I  have  that,  sir;  none  better  iu  the 
market." 

"  I  believe  you.  My  butcher  has  not  sent 
me  any  meat  that  will  compare  with  this,  I  am 
sure." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  it,  and  I  know,  if 
you  were  my  customer,  you'd  get  the  best — none 
but  the  best, ' '  said  the  big,  fat  butcher,  straighten- 
ing back  with  pride. 

' '  There  is  the  evidence  all  around  here  to  sus- 
tain what  you  say, ' '  returned  Mr.  Diggs,  pointing 
to  the  several  large,  fat  beef  carcasses  that  hung 
suspended  by  strong  hooks.  "I  must  tell  my 
wife  about  your  market  and  ask  her  to  buy  her 
meats  of  you." 

"  Thank  you,  sir  ;  thank  you  !  I  like  to  deal 
with  a  man  who  appreciates  a  good  thing  the 
same  as  you  do. ' ' 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  know  good  meat  when  I  see 
it.     I  suppose  you  have  a  large  run  of  trade." 

"  Yes,  sir,  a  large  run." 

' '  And  a  good  number  of  customers  on  the 
avenue,  no  doubt." 

"  Oh,  yes,  sir  ;  yes,  sir  ;  and  they  pay  well,  too, 
you  know." 

"  I  should  think  they  would.  By  the  way,  I 
saw  your  wagon,  as  I  came  along,  before  the 
door  of  a  rich  man  whom  I  know  a  little  by 
reputation." 


268  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  Is  that  so  ?     What  is  his  name  ? ' ' 

' '  His  name  is  Boggs. ' ' 

"  Oh,  Anthony  Boggs.  Well,  I  should  say  he 
is  a  good  customer.  He  always  wants  the  best, 
and  nothing  is  said  about  the  price,  either.  He 
is  a  very  rich  man,  I  am  told. ' ' 

"So  I  understand  from  those  who  know  him. 
I  wonder  where  he  made  all  his  money  ?  " 

"I  can't  say  that,  sir.  I've  heard,  though, 
that  he  speculates  some.  Perhaps  he  made  his 
money  in  that  way." 

"  Maybe  he  did  ;  anyhow,  I've  heard  he  used 
to  be  as  poor  as  any  man.  He  must  be  an  enter- 
prising fellow,"  replied  Mr.  Diggs,  feeling  very 
well  satisfied  with  the  progress  of  his  interview. 

"He  must  that,  to  make  a  fortune  in  these 
days,  when  so  many  men  are  going  up. ' ' 

Yes,  that  is  so.     I  wonder  how  old  a  man 
he  is?" 

"  I  should  say  he  may  be  forty." 

' '  So  old  as  that  ?  I  supposed  him  to  be  a 
younger  man." 

"I  think  he  can't  be  much  less  than  forty. 
He  has  a  son  sixteen  or  seventeen  years  old." 

* '  And  he  is  the  oldest  child  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  and  the  youngest,  too." 

"  Then  Mr.  Boggs  has  no  other  children  ?  " 

"No.  His  wife  has  been  dead,  I  believe,  a 
good  many  years. ' ' 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  269 

"  Is  that  so  ?     Who  keeps  house  for  him  ?  " 

"  His  sister.  She  has  been  with  him  ever 
since  I  have  supplied  the  house  with  meat. ' ' 

"  I  wonder  if  this  sister  is  the  lady  Ben  saw 
with  Boggs  the  night  that  they  went  to  the  Star 
Theater  ? ' '  said  Artemas  Diggs  to  himself. 

"  Well,"  said  he  finally,  "  I  must  not  neglect 
my  business  any  longer.      You  may  send  that 

roast    to    my  house,   number  West    Forty 

ninth  Street.  I  will  see  you  again  before  long. 
Good  day." 

"Good  day,"  said  the  butcher,  thinking  he 
had  made  a  customer  of  a  remarkably  genial 
man. 

Artemas  Diggs  felt  that  he  had  made  a  good 
start  on  the  case.  He  knew  now  that  Boggs 
was  at  one  time  a  poor  man,  that  he  was  a 
widower,  and  that  his  property  must  have  been 
accumulated  in  a  very  short  time.  How  it  came 
into  his  hands  was  the  main  question,  however, 
that  he  was  now  trying  to  solve.  He  bent  his 
energies  upon  this  point,  especially  while  he 
sought  to  learn  what  connection  Boggs  might 
have  with  our  hero. 

He  started  out  with  the  idea  that  Ben's  pres- 
ence was  dangerous  to  Boggs'  interests.  This 
seemed  clear,  from  the  course  taken  by  the  latter 
in  having  the  lad  spirited  away  to  sea. 

Arguing  on    this    theory,    he    naturally    con- 


2  70  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

eluded  that  there  must  be  some  money  question 
at  stake,  and  he  went  vigorously  to  work  to 
determine  what  it  was. 

By  the  aid  of  a  young  man  whom  Mr.  Diggs 
paid  well  for  his  services,  he  made  the  acquaint- 
ance of  one  of  Boggs'  servants — a  rather  talka- 
tive young  woman.  This  propensity  pleased  the 
detective,  and  he  employed  every  means  at  his 
command  to  keep  her  tongue  wagging. 

Gradually  he  led  up  to  the  subject  which 
brought  him  there,  while  he  heroically  endured 
her  senseless  prattle. 

' '  The  butcher  told  me  that  Mr.  Boggs  is  a 
very  rich  man,  and  a  liberal  one,  too.  I  suppose 
he  gives  you  an  easy  time?"  said  the  detective. 

"Him  give  us  an  easy  time?"  responded  the 
servant.  "I  should  think  he  did!  He's  the 
crossest  old  patch  I  ever  seen.  No  one  can  do 
anything  to  suit  him  lately." 

"  Is  he  different  from  what  he  used  to  be  ?  " 
asked  Mr.  Diggs  quietly. 

' '  I  should  say  so.  He  used  to  be  good  enough, 
but  for  three  or  four  months  he's  been  awful. 
I've  threatened  to  leave  him,  but  Mrs.  Harding 
has  coaxed  me  to  stay,  saying  he  was  nervous 
and  irritable." 

' '  No  doubt  he  is  nervous, ' '  thought  the  detec- 
tive. "  I  should  be  if  I  were  in  his  place;  "  and 
then  replying  to  the  girl's  remark,  he  said  : 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  271 

' '  Mrs.  Harding — who  is  she  ?  ' ' 

"  She  is  his  sister,  the  housekeeper." 

"Then  he  isn't  a  married  man  ?  " 

' '  His  wife  has  been  dead  fifteen  years  or 
more." 

"  I  should  think  he  would  get  married  again," 
suggested  Diggs. 

"So  he  would,  if  he  could  get  the  one  he 
wants. ' ' 

"Why  can't  he?" 

"She  won't  have  him." 

* '  I  should  think  she  would  marry  him — a  man 
as  rich  as  he  is. ' ' 

"She  is  rich  herself,  and  don't  need  his 
money,  though  by  good  rights  it  is  her  own 
money,  anyway." 

' '  What  do  5'ou  mean  ?  ' ' 

' '  I  mean  that  all  his  property  ought  to  be 
hers." 

"Impossible  !  You  are  joking  with  me,"  said 
Mr.  Diggs  seriously,  while  he  found  it  difiScult  to 
suppress  his  interest. 

"  No,  I'm  not.  The  law  gave  him  over  half 
of  her  husband's  money  when  he  died." 

' '  So  all  of  this  property  fell  into  his  hands  in 
that  w-ay  ?  ' ' 

"That's  it." 

"  And  she  is  still  rich,  you  say  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  is  the  nicest  woman  you  ever  saw." 


272  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"You  know  her,  I  take  it  ?  " 

"I  should  say  I  did.  She  gave  me  ever  so 
many  presents  when  she  was  here." 

* '  How  long  ago  was  that  ?  ' ' 

' ' '  Bout  three  months  ago  she  visited  here. ' ' 

"  You  are  in  luck  to  know  so  many  rich  folks." 

"Yes,  I  s' pose  so." 

"What  did  you  say  the  woman's  name  is?  " 

"I  didn't  say,  but  I'll  tell  you  now.  Her 
name  is  Mrs.  Van  Vleet." 

This  reply  almost  took  the  detective's  breath 
away. 

"Mrs.  Van  Vleet!"  he  repeated  to  himself. 
' '  Can  it  be  possible  !  ' ' 

"  I  have  heard  that  name  somewhere  before," 
replied  Mr.  Diggs,  as  if  trying  hard  to  recall 
where. 

"  It  isn't  a  common  name,"  said  the  servant. 

"  No,  it  is  not.     Does  she  live  in  this  city  ?  " 
■   "  No,  she  lives  with  her  sister  in  Boston." 

"  And  she  has  no  children  ?  " 

"  No,  none  that's  alive." 

' '  Poor  woman  !  She  was  unfortunate  to  lose 
both  her  husband  and  children,"  said  Mr.  Diggs 
sympathetically. 

"  Yes,  she  was  ;  but  she  only  had  one  child,  I 
believe." 

"  Did  he  live  to  grow  up?  "  asked  Mr.  Diggs, 
assuming  that  the  child  was  a  boy. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  273 

"  No,  it  was  lost  at  sea  the  same  time  her  hus- 
band was  drowned. ' ' 

"  Why,  how  did  that  occur?  " 

"  I  don't  know  exactly,  only  the  steamer  went 
down  and  they  were  lost." 

"Were  they  alone  at  the  time,  or  was  Mrs. 
Van  Vleet  on  board  the  same  steamer  ?  ' ' 

"  She  was  with  them,  and  got  saved  some  way. 
I  don't  know  how." 

' '  Well,  it  was  a  sad  case  ;  and  then  to  think 
that  Boggs should  get  so  much  of  her  property," 
mused  Artemas  Diggs. 

"I  should  say  so  myself;  and  Boggs  was  as 
poor  as  he  could  be  then — only  a  ship  carpenter, ' ' 
said  the  girl  contemptuously. 

The  detective  had  struck  a  rich  mine  of  infor- 
mation, and  he  worked  it  most  successfully. 

"  You  don't  tell  me  !  "  replied  Artemas  Diggs. 
"It's  enough  to  make  hard  working  folks  like  us 
envy  him.  Why  should  he  have  such  luck  any 
more  than  we  ?  " 

' '  I  says  that  to  myself  lots  o'  times,  but  some 
folks  does  have  such  luck,  you  know." 

' '  Yes,  that's  a  fact.  But  what  relation  was  he 
to  Mr.  Van  Vleet?" 

' '  Why,  you  see,  Boggs'  wife  was  a  sister  to 
Mr.  Van  Vleet." 

"  Oh,  I  see,  and  that's  how  it  all  came  about." 

"  Yes,  but  the  money  is  all  Perry's,  after  all." 


274  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"Perry  !     Oh,  that's  Boggs'  son." 

"Yes." 

' '  Of  course  he  was  the  heir,  but  I  suppose 
Boggs  manages  the  property. ' ' 

"  Yes,  he  is  the  guardian,  or  something  of  that 
kind.  Anyway,  he  handles  the  money  as  if  it 
was  his  own. ' ' 

"Well,  that's  what  I  call  luck,"  said  Mr. 
Diggs  thoughtfully. 

After  some  further  conversation,  in  which  he 
learned  Mrs.  Van  Vleet's  Boston  address,  he  and 
his  talkative  companion  reached  the  Boggs 
mansion. 

Leaving  her  at  the  basement  door,  after  saying 
a  more  or  less  affectionate  good  night,  he  hurried 
to  his  home. 

This  walk  in  the  cold,  still  night  had  been  a 
most  successful  one  for  him. 

True,  he  had  played  the  part  of  a  lover,  but  he 
felt  that  the  end  justified  the  means,  for  now  he 
had  all  the  information  necessary  for  immediate 
action  against  Anthony  Boggs. 


XLII. 

*'  /^"^OOD  evening,  commodore,"  said  William 

^■^  Montgomery,  extending  his  hand.  "  I 
called  to  report  to  you. ' ' 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  yon,"  returned  Commodore 
Hopkins,  as  they  entered  the  drawing  room  of 
his  handsome  residence,  ' '  and  am  anxious  to 
know  what  progress  has  been  made. ' ' 

' '  The  progress  has  been  far  better  than  I 
anticipated.      Mr.  Diggs  has  outdone  himself." 

' '  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so  ;  but  how  did 
you  get  on  with  the  district  attorney  ? ' ' 

' '  That  matter  is  practically  settled. ' ' 

Ben  and  Bertha  now  entered  the  room,  looking 
cheerful  and  happy. 

After  a  friendly  greeting,  Mr.  Montgomery 
said  :  "  I  was  just  saying  to  the  commodore  that 
the  matter  of  your  arrest  is  practically  settled — 
you  need  feel  no  further  uneasiness  now." 

Ben's  hearty  thanks  left  no  doubt  of  his  grati- 
tude to  the  able  lawyer  for  his  services. 

The  district  attorney  had  promised  to  quash 
the  indictment,  so  there  was  no  further  danger  of 
arrest. 

275 


276  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

* '  Now  let  us  hear  what  Mr.  Diggs  accom- 
plished," said  Commodore  Hopkins. 

Mr.  Montgomery  repeated  the  story  much  as  I 
have  given  it  to  you.  When  he  reached  that 
part  where  the  servant  said  the  name  of  the  lady 
who  visited  Boggs'  house  was  Mrs.  Van  Vleet, 
our  young  hero's  heart  beat  fast  with  a  strange 
emotion. 

' '  Then  she  was  the  lady  I  saw  with  Boggs  ?  ' ' 
he  broke  out  excitedly. 

"Yes,  I  imagine  she  was  the  one,"  said  Mr. 
Montgomery. 

"  I  knew  she  was  not  Perry  Boggs'  mother.  I 
knew  it,  though  I  couldn't  tell  why." 

' '  It  is  strange  you  should  have  been  so  im- 
pressed by  her. ' ' 

"  And  stranger  yet  is  the  fact  that  she  seemed 
at  the  same  time  to  be  equally  impressed  by  you, ' ' 
said  Commodore  Hopkins. 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  said  the  boy  thought- 
fully. 

' '  Do  you  think  you  would  know  her  should  you 
see  her  again?"  asked  Mr.  Montgomery. 

"  I  am  sure  I  should.  I  shall  never  forget  her 
face." 

"Well,  I  hope  you  will  soon  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  meeting  her  again." 

"Oh,  I  do  hope  so,"  said  Ben,  with  enthu- 
siasm. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GRRAT  CITY.  277 

' '  How  would  you  like  to  go  on  to  Boston  to  see 
her?" 

"I  wish  I  might,"  replied  the  lad,  his  hopes 
rising, 

"  There  is  no  reason  why  you  can't  go  with 
Artemas  Diggs. " 

' '  Is  he  going  on  to  see  her  ? ' ' 

"Well,  yes,  unless  I  can  persuade  you  to  go 
instead,"  said  the  lawyer  to  Commodore  Hopkins. 

"  I?  " 

"  Yes,  I  think  you  would  be  the  proper  one  to 
go." 

"Well,  I  should  feel  delicate  about  going  on 
such  an  errand, ' ' 

"  Nonsense  !  I  can't  see  why  you  should  feel 
that  way," 

"  Well,  suppose  Ben  should  not  prove  to  be  her 
child — what  then  ?  ' ' 

' '  Why,  3''ou  would  have  no  cause  to  feel 
embarrassed  ;  and,  on  the  other  hand,  there  is  little 
doubt  in  my  mind  that  he  is  her  child." 

"  So  I  think  myself, ' ' 

' '  Certainly.  All  the  evidence  tends  to  this 
view.  Otherwise,  what  logical  reason  could  there 
be  for  Boggs'  desire  to  put  the  boy  out  of  the  way  ? ' ' 

"  None  that  I  can  see." 

"  That  is  it  exactly.  Well,  we  will  get  at  the 
bottom  of  this  matter  sooner  or  later.  But  what 
about  Boston  ?     Will  you  go  ?  " 


278  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  What  do  you  say,  Ben?  Would  you  rather 
have  me  go  with  you  than  Artemas  Diggs?" 
asked  the  commodore. 

"  I  would  much  prefer  going  with  you,  for  I 
don't  know  Mr.  Diggs,"  replied  the  lad. 

"All  right,  then,  I  will  go,"  said  Commodore 
Hopkins,  turning  to  Mr.  Montgomery.  "  When 
do  you  wish  us  to  start  ?  ' ' 

' '  The  sooner  the  better,  as  we  wish  to  lose  no 
time." 

' '  Yes,  I  suppose  so ;  and  I  see  nothing  to  pre- 
vent our  starting  in  the  morning. ' ' 

"Very  well,  then,  I  will  tell  Mr.  Diggs  that 
he  need  not  go  to  Boston.  Here  is  Mrs.  Van 
Vleet's  address." 

* '  Thank  you  ;  we  shall  need  that.  Now,  are 
there  any  suggestions  you  have  to  offer — any 
special  instructions  ?  ' ' 

"No,  I  believe  not.  You  should  get  the 
woman's  story,  and  tell  her  the  discoveries  we 
have  made — everything  from  first  to  last." 

Mr.  Montgomery  then  said  good  night  and 
returned  to  his  home. 


XLIII. 

"r7ARIyY  the  following  moruitig  Ben  found 
himself  on  board  a  fast  train  that  landed 
him  and  the  commodore  in  Boston  in  about  six 
hours.  Immediately  they  took  a  cab  and  drove 
to  the  house  where  Mrs.  Van  Vleet  resided  with 
her  sister. 

"  You  may  remain  in  the  cab,  Ben,  and  drive 
for  an  hour  or  so,  and  then  return  here.  I  want 
to  see  the  lady  before  taking  you  into  her  pres- 
ence," said  Commodore  Hopkins,  as  he  stepped 
upon  the  sidewalk. 

He  was  shown  into  the  drawing  room,  where 
he  waited  for  Mrs.  Van  Vleet  to  appear.  The 
house  was  handsomely  furnished,  everything 
looked  neat  and  suggested  the  best  of  taste. 

Presently  a  tall,  fine  looking  lady,  with  a  kindly, 
intellectual  face,  entered  the  room.  It  was  Mrs. 
Van  Vleet.  Commodore  Hopkins  introduced 
himself,  and  then  said  : 

' '  I  came  here  today  on  a  peculiar  mission,  but 
one  which  I  trust  will  result  in  righting  a  great 
wrong  which  I  have  reasons   for  believing  has 
been  perpetrated  upon  you  and  another. ' ' 
279 


28o  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

The  lady  looked  puzzled.  How  had  she  been 
wronged,  and  why  should  this  man — a  total 
stranger — take  the  trouble  to  come  to  her  on  such 
an  errand  ? 

These  thoughts  suggested  themselves  to  her, 
and  her  manner,  therefore,  was  guarded  and 
distant. 

"  I  think,  sir,  you  must  have  made  some  mis- 
take. I  am  not  aware  of  any  injustice  that  has 
been  done  to  me." 

"  So  I  supposed,  madam,  and  that  is  the  reason 
why  I  came  here  today,  or  rather,  one  of  the 
reasons.  No,  I  think  I  am  not  mistaken  in  the 
lady.  Your  husband's  name  was  William  Van 
Vleet,  was  it  not?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"And  he  was  lost  at  sea  a  number  of  years 
ago  ?  " 

' '  Yes,  fourteen  years  ago  ;  but  what  has  that 
to  do  with  any  inju.stice  that  you  imagine  has  been 
done  to  me  ?  ' ' 

"  I  simply  wish  to  convince  myself  that  I  am 
right.  Now  I  know  you  are  the  lady  whom  I 
wish  to  see.  I  will  tell  you  my  story,  and  then 
you  will  see  my  purpose  in  coming  to  5'ou." 

"  Thank  you,  sir  ;  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  what 
you  have  to  say,"  said  Mrs.  Van  Vleet,  who  had 
begun  to  be  favorably  impressed  with  the  com- 
modore's genial  manner. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  281 

"  I^ast  November,"  said  he,  "  I  sailed  with  my 
family  for  Australia.  During  the  voyage  the  boat- 
swain of  our  ship  told  us  the  sad  story  of  a  steam- 
ship that  was  lost  at  sea.  Among  the  passengers  he 
said  there  was  a  wealthy  family  whose  name  was 
Van  Vleet.  Since  returning  to  New  York  I  have 
learned  by  investigation  that  you  were  on  board 
that  ill  fated  ship.  You  are  doubtless,  then,  the 
Mrs.  Van  Vleet  to  whom  the  sailor  referred, 
though  he  believed  that  both  you  and  your  hus- 
band were  lost  at  sea." 

"  My  husband  and  my  baby  were  both  lost  on 
that  fearful  night,"  said  the  lady,  wiping  a  sad 
tear  from  her  eyes,  "  and  I  was  left  alone." 

The  recital  of  this  event  brought  back  to  her 
afresh  the  sorrow  that  had  clouded  her  life,  and 
her  breast  heaved  with  a  deep  emotion. 

' '  It  was  very  sad, "  said  the  commodore  ;  ' '  and 
yet  I  trust  less  so  than  you  have  supposed." 

"  Wh}^  what  do  you  mean — what  do  you 
know?  "  said  she  eagerly,  and  with  a  gleam  of 
hope  leaping  into  her  moist  eyes. 

' '  I  believe  your  baby  was  saved, ' '  replied 
Commodore  Hopkins  assuringly. 

"  Saved  ?     My  darling  baby  !  " 

"Yes,  saved  by  the  sailor  to  whom  I  have 
referred." 

"Saved?  Oh,  no,  no,  it  cannot  be,"  said  the 
lady,  bewildered. 


282  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  I  believe  there  is  little  doubt  of  it,  madam. 
The  boatswain  said  he  saved  the  child  himself." 

' '  And  he  has  kept  him  from  me  all  this  time 
— oh,  cruel,  cruel  man  !  "  she  cried  excitedly. 

Her  face  was  pale  as  death,  and  she  seemed 
struggling  with  her  own  reason,  as  she  pressed 
her  hand  against  her  forehead. 

"Have  you  ever  seen  this  ring?"  said  the 
commodore  presently,  as  he  handed  her  the  tiny 
gold  band  taken  from  John  Hansel's  pocketbook. 

"Oh,  it  was  his,  it  was  his — my  baby  dar- 
ling !  "  she  cried,  almost  hysterically,  and  then, 
as  if  by  instinct,  pressed  it  to  her  breast,  while 
the  tears  coursed  silently  down  her  cheeks, 

"  So  you  identify  the  ring?  "  said  the  commo- 
dore, after  a  pause. 

Yes,  it  is  like  the  one  my  baby  wore. ' ' 

"And  the  name,  Victor  Van  Vleet " 

"Yes,  that  was  his  name.  But  where  is  he 
now  ?  Oh,  don't  say  he  is  dead,  after  this  hope 
you  have  given  me  !  " 

"  No,  I  will  not  say  that,  for  I  believe  he  is 
alive  and  well.  But  a  cruel  plot  was  entered  into 
to  defraud  you  out  of  the  fortune  to  which  he 
was  the  heir.  This  is  why  he  was  spirited  away 
and  his  identity  lost." 

"  Oh,  tell  me  all,  tell  me  all.  I  cannot  endure 
this  suspense  !"  cried  the  lady,  as  the  commo- 
dore hesitated,  thinking  how  best  to  proceed. 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  283 

He  now  told  Dan  Spiker's  story  of  the  rescue. 
She  confirmed  the  honest  sailor's  statements  at 
every  point,  and  upon  relating  how  the  child  was 
deserted  by  its  nurse  she  cried  out  as  if  pierced 
to  the  heart  with  pain,  saying  : 

"Oh!  wicked,  wicked  woman!  How  could 
she  be  so  selfish  and  cruel  as  to  leave  my  help- 
less baby  in  such  an  hour  !  My  husband  and 
myself  were  prisoners  in  our  own  stateroom  at 
the  time,  or  he  would  have  been  in  my  arms — 
poor,  dear  baby  !  " 

How  did  it  happen  that  you  were  prison- 
ers?" 

"Our  door  was  caught  so  firmly  it  could  not 
be  opened  till  it  was  broken  in. ' ' 

That  was  caused  by  the  straining  of  the 
ship,  I  suppose." 

Yes  ;  and  the  instant  we  were  released  I 
went  to  the  stateroom  adjoining,  which  was  occu- 
pied by  the  nurse  and  our  baby,  but  they  were 
both  gone.  We  tried  to  find  them,  but  could 
not,  as  we  were  forced  to  leave  the  ship  without 
another  minute's  delay," 

Commodore  Hopkins  continued  the  boatswain's 
story,  giving  in  full  all  that  had  been  stated. 

"  What  could  have  been  their  object — the  men 
that  stole  him  away  from  the  sailor  ?  ' '  asked 
Mrs.  Van  Vleet  more  calmly,  and  bringing  her 
fine  reasoning  powers  into  action. 


284  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  It  was  doubtless  done  to  defraud  you  of  your 
husbaud's  property." 

"  Oh,  I  cau't  think  that.  How  could  any  one 
be  so  cruel?  "  said  she  thoughtfully. 

"  Such  acts  have  often  been  done,  and  we  have 
good  reasons  for  believing  that  such  was  the 
motive  in  this  case." 

"  It  must  have  been  done  by  our  relatives, 
then — if  at  all,"  she  added,  as  if  doubtful. 

"  Certainh'.  Have  j^ou  never  suspected  any- 
thing wrong  ?  ' ' 

She  hesitated  before  replying,  and  then  said 
slowly,  "Yes,  I  have,  but  not  exactly  in  this 
way." 

' '  He  covered  his  tracks  well  for  a  time, 
but " 

"He?"  interrupted  the  lady  with  a  startled 
look.      ' '  Whom  do  you  mean  ?  ' ' 

' '  Under  the  circumstances  there  is  but  one  man 
to  whom  I  could  refer. ' ' 

"Oh,  it  can't  be — Anthony  Boggs  guilty  of 
such  a  crime  ?     No,  no  !  " 

"It  is  a  hard  thing  to  say  about  any  one, 
madam,  but  all  the  evidence  tends  to  this  view." 

He  then  told  her  how  a  strange  boy,  afloat  in 
the  streets  of  New  York,  had  punished  Perry 
Boggs — how  he  was  arrested  and  locked  up — told 
of  Bogg'  visit  to  the  station  house  to  see  the  lad 
— how  he  was  disguised,  and  how   nervous  he 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  285 

seemed.  He  told  how  the  boy  was  sent  to  the 
Island  and  afterward  released  on  a  bond  given 
by  Boggs'  attorney,  and  taken  directly  on  board 
a  ship  bound  for  Australia,  and  thus  spirited 
away  from  New  York. 

' '  That  explains  his  strange  actions  when  the 
detectives  called  to  see  him  about  the  boy,"  said 
Mrs.  Van  Vleet.  "I  felt  sure  then  that  some- 
thing was  wrong,  and  was  so  disgusted  at  his 
cowardice  and  deception  that  I  cut  my  visit  short 
and  returned  here  the  very  next  day." 

The  commodore  now  handed  a  letter  to  her  to 
read.  It  was  the  one  written  to  Caleb  Steel, 
offering  the  reward  to  have  Ben  put  where  he 
would  never  again  return  to  New  York  alive. 

The  color  faded  from  her  face  as  she  discov- 
ered the  villain's  terrible  purpose.  Too  much 
shocked  to  speak,  she  handed  the  letter  back  to 
the  commodore,  and  bowing  her  head  low, 
thought  silently  for  a  time. 

Presently  the  commodore  continued  his  story, 
and  briefly  related  the  events  that  occurred  on 
shipboard. 

"And  you  think  he  is  my  lost  child,"  said 
Mrs.  Van  Vleet,  at  length — "  the  poor  boy  whom 
you  protected  ?  ' ' 

"I  have  no  positive  evidence  to  that  effect 
but  there  is  no  other  way  of  explaining  Boggs' 
desire  to  get  him  out  of  the  way," 


286  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

' '  When  can  I  see  him  ?  How  I  wish  you  had 
brought  him  on  with  you  ! ' ' 

"  I  anticipated  your  desire,  and  have  brought 
him  with  me," 

"  Brought  him  with  you?  " 

"Yes." 

"  But  where  is  he  ?  I  can  hardly  wait  to  see 
him. ' ' 

' '  He  will  be  here  soon.  I  instructed  the  cab- 
man to  return  with  him  in  one  hour,  and  the 
time  is  nearly  up. ' ' 

"Oh,  I  cannot  realize  that  he  is  my  child — 
alive  and  a  grown  boy. ' ' 

"  "Well,  5'ou  know  it  is  possible  that  he  is  not 
your  son.     So  you  had  better  not  feel  too  sure. ' ' 

"No,  I  will  not— I " 

"Ah,  here  comes  the  carriage  now,"  said 
Commodore  Hopkins,  looking  out  of  the  window. 
"  I  will  go  to  the  door  and  call  him  in." 

"Ben,  come  here,  please,"  called  the  commo- 
dore, and  the  lad  responded  with  a  light,  willing 
step. 

As  they  entered  the  drawing  room  Mrs.  Van 
Vleet  arose  and  stepped  forward  to  meet  the  boy. 
Her  manner  was  agitated  and  nervous,  and 
her  face  expressed  a  conflict  between  doubt  and 
hope. 

I  have  not  the  space  to  picture  the  scene  that 
followed  between   mother  and    son — a  sou  who 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  287 

had  never  known  a  mother,  and  a  mother  who 
supposed  that  her  child  had  died  long  years  ago. 

To  one  it  was  a  resurrection  from  a  watery- 
grave  ;  to  the  other  the  realization  of  his  boyish 
dreams.  Now  he  had  a  mother — a  dear,  sweet 
mother,  and  his  mother  had  a  son  whom  she 
pressed  to  her  breast  with  tender  love  and  pride. 

What  a  happy  meeting  after  this  long  and  cruel 
separation — a  separation  caused  by  the  cunning 
hand  of  a  wicked  villain  !  And  now  incidents 
and  coincidences  in  the  life  of  our  hero  of  the 
strangest  and  most  peculiar  nature  had  brought 
them  together  once  more. 

Her  husband's  features  were  so  distinctly  seen 
in  her  son's  face  that  she  could  not  have  been 
mistaken.  Almost  instantly  she  recognized 
him.  Instinct  was  swifter  than  reason,  and  she 
clasped  him  lovingly  in  her  arms  amid  tears  of 
joy. 

To  Commodore  Hopkins  this  was  a  refreshing 
scene,  and  well  repaid  him  for  all  the  expense 
and  trouble  to  which  he  had  gone  for  our  young 
hero. 

' '  The  same  face  that  I  saw  on  Union  Square 
that  cold  November  night,"  said  Mrs.  Van  Vleet. 
' '  Mj'  heart  condemned  me  for  not  going  to  yon 
then,  but  how  little  I  supposed  you  were  my  own 
dear  boy  ! ' ' 

"And  I,  of  course,  didn't  imagine  you  were 


288  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

my  mother.  I  thought  you  were  Perry  Boggs' 
mother." 

Our  hero,  whom  we  will  hereafter  call  by  his 
true  name,  Victor  Van  Vleet,  then  told  his  mother 
how  he  followed  her  to  the  theater  door,  and 
heard  her  reprove  Perry  for  his  insolent  remarks. 

"  I  remember  that  you  asked  him  how  he  would 
feel  if  his  position  was  changed  with  that  poor 
boy — meaning  me — but  I  little  thought  it  would 
ever  come  true. ' ' 

"  Neither  did  I,"  said  his  mother  ;  "  but  it  hurt 
me  to  hear  Perry  speak  as  he  did." 

"And  it  hurt  me,  too,  and  made  me  feel  like 
giving  him  a  good  licking.  I  determined  then 
that  I  would  get  even  with  him  sooner  or  later." 

"  That  time  is  very  near  at  hand  now,  Victor," 
said  Commodore  Hopkins,  calling  him  by  this 
name  for  the  first  time. 

"I  hope  it  is,"  replied  the  boy,  "but  I  don't 
know  myself  by  that  name." 

"  You  will  soon  get  accustomed  to  it,  as  one 
does  to  a  new  suit  of  clothes.  You  know  your- 
self, and  that  is  the  main  thing.  Your  character 
will  be  the  same  whatever  name  you  go  by.  But 
this  pleasant  conversation  must  be  cut  short,  as 
there  is  important  work  yet  to  be  done.  Boggs 
must  be  brought  to  justice  for  his  infamous 
villainy,  and  the  property  that  he  now  controls 
shall  be  yours." 


XLIV. 

/^OMMODORE  HOPKINS  returned  home 
^-^  alone,  leaving  Victor  to  visit  his  mother 
until  wanted  in  New  York.  He  felt  now  that  his 
responsibility  was  at  an  end.  He  had  shielded 
the  boy  from  danger,  and  cared  for  him  as  if  he 
had  been  his  own  child.  But  one  thing  more 
remained  for  him  to  do,  and  that  was  to  see  that 
justice  should  overtake  Anthony  Boggs. 

' '  Where  is  Ben  ?  ' '  asked  Bertha  with  a  look  of 
disappointment,  as  her  father  entered  the  house. 

"I  left  him  with  his  mother,"  replied  the 
commodore. 

"  Then  she  was  really  his  mother?  " 

"Yes,  no  doubt  whatever  about  it." 

"  What  did  Ben  say,  and  how  did  he  act?  I 
wish  I  might  have  seen  him." 

"I  wish,  too,  that  you  could  have  witnessed 
the  scene,"  said  her  father;  and  then  he  told 
the  story  of  their  meeting. 

"  It  must  have  been  a  happy  reunion,"  said 
Mrs.  Hopkins. 

"It  was,   indeed,    and  they  both  seem   very 

happy  now." 

289 


290  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"So  I  should  suppose;  Ben  is  a  charming 
boy.     His  mother  must  be  proud  of  him. ' ' 

"  She  shows  that  plainlj',  and  he  is  proud  of 
his  mother,  as  well  he  may  be,  for  she  is  a  refined 
lady." 

"  But  Ben  will  not  stay  in  Boston  all  the  time, 
will  he?  "  said  Bertha  feelingly. 

' '  I  suppose  he  will  ;  that  is,  if  his  mother 
continues  to  reside  there." 

A  look  of  disappointment  passed  over  her  face. 

"  I  thought  he  would  come  back  with  you," 
said  she. 

"  Well,  his  mother  wanted  him  to  remain  with 
her,  and  as  I  had  no  authority  in  the  matter,  of 
course  I  made  no  objections." 

"  We  missed  him  very  much,"  said  Mrs.  Hop- 
kins, "  and  Bertha  was  lonesome  without  him." 

"We  shall  all  miss  him,  no  doubt,"  replied 
the  commodore.  ' '  He  seemed  like  one  of  our 
family. ' ' 

"  Here  is  a  letter,  papa,  that  came  for  you  yes- 
terday," said  Bertha. 

"  Oh,  it  is  from  Dan  Spiker,"  said  her  father, 
when  he  had  opened  the  envelope  and  read  the 
boatswain's  name. 

"From  Dan?  Oh,  I  am  glad  he  is  home 
again  !  " 

"So am  I.  We  may  need  his  testimony  in 
Victor's  case." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GRRAT  CITY.  29 1 

"  It  doesn't  sound  natural  to  hear  you  call  him 
Victor. ' ' 

"  I  know  it  does  not,  but  we  will  soon  get 
accustomed  to  it." 

"  Yes,  I  suppose  so.  How  glad  Dan  will  be 
to  learn  of  Victor's  good  luck  !  " 

' '  I  think  he  will  be  almost  as  glad  as  Victor 
was  himself.  He  will  be  at  my  office  today,  this 
letter  says.  I  must  not  miss  seeing  him.  I  can 
imagine  just  how  anxious  he  will  feel  to  hear 
what  we  have  done  in  Ben's  behalf." 

"  Don't  5'ou  mean  Victor's  behalf?  "  laughed 
Bertha. 

' '  Yes,  I  accept  the  correction.  I  find  it  diffi- 
cult, myself,  to  remember  his  new  name." 

After  breakfast  was  over.  Commodore  Hopkins 
went  direct  to  William  Montgomery's  office. 
The  lawyer  greeted  him  pleasantly,  and  asked 
for  a  report  of  the  Boston  trip.  On  hearing  the 
result  he  expressed  his  gratification  at  the  happy 
outcome. 

' '  I  knew  that  the  trip  would  repay  you  for 
going,"  said  he. 

"  It  did,  indeed — repaid  me  many  times." 

' '  I  am  heartily  glad  it  did.  You  well  deserved 
the  pleasure  you  got  from  witnessing  the  happy 
scene." 

"Thank  you,  but  I  fear  you  overlook  your 
own  efforts  in  the  boy's  behalf." 


292  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  No,  I  do  not  ;  for  I  have  simply  carried  out 
your  wishes  in  a  professional  way. ' ' 

"  I  am  sure  you  wrong  yourself,  for,  had  I 
not  asked  you  to  work  up  the  case,  you  would 
have  done  so  on  your  own  account.  You  had 
already  employed  a  detective  to  investigate  the 
matter. ' ' 

"Well,  yes,  I  must  admit  that;  but  then  I 
have  done  so  little  for  the  boy  that  it  seems  as 
nothing  in  comparison  with  what  you  have  done 
for  him." 

"I  cannot  quite  agree  with  you  ;  and  besides, 
my  work  is  now  done.  I  have  gone  as  far  as  I 
can,  while  there  is  yet  much  for  you  to  do  in  the 
case. ' ' 

' '  To  w^hat  do  you  refer  ?  ' ' 
' '  I  refer  to  legal  proceedings  against  Boggs. ' ' 
"  Oh,  I   understand   j'ou  now.      Yes,  it   will 
doubtless  develop  into  an  important  contest. ' ' 
"Yes,  I  imagine  so." 

"  The  case  is  somewhat  complicated.  It  may, 
therefore,  take  some  time  and  a  great  deal  of 
work  to  establish  our  claim.  There  is  a  large 
sum  of  money  involved,  which  is  now  in  Boggs' 
possession.  This  gives  him  every  advantage." 
' '  But  you  do  not  doubt  our  final  triumph  ?  ' ' 
"  Oh,  no.  We  have  plenty  of  evidence  in  our 
possession,  and  as  the  case  progresses  will 
doubtless  secure  more." 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  293 

"  You  will,  of  course,  try  to  have  him  punished 
as  well  as  to  secure  the  property." 

' '  Certainly.  I  have  already  taken  steps  for  his 
arrest." 

' '  I  am  glad  of  that.  I  want  to  see  the  villain 
punished." 

"  I  think  we  agree  perfectly  in  that  sentiment, 
and  trust  the  time  is  not  far  off  when  justice  will 
overtake  him." 

Dan  Spiker,  the  honest  hearted  sailor,  was 
rejoiced  to  learn  of  our  young  hero's  good  fortune 
in  regaining  his  mother,  and  in  finding  himself 
entitled  to  a  large  fortune.  He  was  anxious  to 
see  Victor  and  congratulate  him,  because  he  felt 
a  real  affection  for  the  boy. 

"  It  will  be  necessary,  Dan,  for  you  to  remain 
ashore  for  a  time,"  said  Commodore  Hopkins. 
* '  We  shall  need  3- our  testimony  to  help  establish 
Victor's  identity." 

' '  I  would  be  glad  to  know  about  how  long  I 
shall  be  needed  here,  for  I  want  to  get  to  work 
again  as  soon  as  possible, ' '  said  the  sailor, 

"I  can't  say  when  your  testimony  will  be 
needed.  But  you  can  feel  perfectly  contented,  as 
you  will  lose  nothing  by  waiting." 

' '  Thank  you,  sir.  I  am  glad  to  do  anything 
you  w^aut  me  to,"  said  Dan,  with  a  look  of 
pleasure.  He  felt  assured  by  the  commodore's 
manner  that  he  would  be  well  provided  for. 


XI.V. 

IWrR.  MONTGOMERY  presented  our  hero's 
case  to  the  district  attorney,  who  speedily- 
procured  from  the  grand  jury  an  indictment 
against  Anthony  Boggs,  cliarghig  him  with 
having  caused  the  abduction  of  a  child  from  Dan 
Spiker's  home  ;  with  having  spirited  a  boy  away 
to  sea,  and  with  inciting  one  Caleb  Steel  to 
murder. 

These  were  grave  charges  to  be  brought  against 
any  man,  and  Anthony  Boggs  had  good  cause  for 
feeling  the  terror  that  well  nigh  overpowered 
him  when  the  officers  placed  him  under  arrest. 

To  follow  him  through  the  long  investigation 
that  succeeded  would  be  tedious  and  uninterest- 
ing to  my  readers.  Neither  have  I  the  space  to 
record  the  details  of  so  long  and  wearisome  a  trial. 
It  could  not  properly  be  made  a  part  of  this  story, 
which  is  simply  the  history  of  our  hero's  strange 
career. 

But  all  who  have  followed  through  this  narra- 
tive the  pale,  scantily  dressed  boy  whom  they 
first  met  one  cold  November  night  on  Union 
Square  will,  I  believe,  feel  interested  to  know  the 
294 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  295 

result  of  the  legal  contest  with  Anthouy  Boggs — 
the  man  who  had  wronged  him  cruelly,  and 
finally,  to  protect  himself,  had  sought  his  life. 

"When  Mr.  Van  Vleet  was  drowned  at  sea 
Anthony  Boggs  was  at  work  in  Brooklyn  as  an 
ordinary  ship  carpenter.  He  lived  in  Jersey  City, 
in  a  verj'  humble  way,  his  sister  then,  as  later, 
filling  the  place  of  housekeeper. 

The  best  of  feeling  did  not  exist  between  him 
and  Mr.  Van  Vleet.  The  latter's  sister  had 
married  Boggs  against  the  wishes  of  her  family, 
and  this  was  the  first  cause  for  coolness  between 
them.  But  a  3'et  stronger  reason  for  this  feeling 
was  the  difference  in  the  characters  of  the  men. 
Mr.  Van  Vleet  was  genial,  refined  and  intel- 
lectual ;  Boggs  possessed  none  of  these  desirable 
characteristics.  There  was,  therefore,  nothing 
to  hold  them  together  save  relationship,  and  that 
merely  a  connection  by  marriage.  This  slender 
tie  was,  after  a  while,  severed  by  the  sudden 
death  of  Mrs.  Boggs,  and  now  the  two  men 
drifted  farther  and  farther  apart. 

Boggs,  chafing  at  his  poverty  and  made  jealous 
by  the  rapidly  accumulating  fortune  of  his  brother 
in  law,  grew  more  and  more  bitter  toward  him. 
There  had  been  no  interchange  of  good  feeling 
between  them  for  several  months  previous  to  the 
sinking  of  the  ill  fated  steamer — the  accident  that 
cost  Mr.  Van  Vleet  his  life. 


296  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Boggs  had,  however,  kept  a  keen  eye  on  the 
other's  movements,  and  looked  covetously  to  the 
property  he  now  owned. 

When  he  learned  that  his  brother  in  law  had 
been  lost  at  sea,  a  look  of  triumph  shone  in  his 
eyes,  and  then  instantly  his  mind  turned  toward 
the  property. 

He  had  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  law  to  know 
that  his  son  Perry  was  the  only  direct  heir  except 
Mr.  Van  Vleet's  own  child. 

"  If  the  child  is  lost,  and  there  is  no  will,  the 
bulk  of  his  riches  will  be  mine,"  said  Boggs, 
with  avarice  in  his  countenance. 

He  employed  a  lawyer  to  look  after  his  inter- 
ests, and  gave  all  his  own  energies  to  the  case. 
The  money  he  wanted,  and  would  have  if  it  could 
be  had  by  any  means,  just  or  otherwise. 

Mrs.  Van  Vleet  was  prostrated  with  grief  over 
the  loss  of  her  husband  and  the  supposed  loss  of 
her  child.  She  gave  business  matters  little  atten- 
tion. 

Boggs,  on  the  other  hand,  was  alert,  and 
keenly  watching  for  any  possible  development 
that  might  yet  arise  to  keep  him  from  gaining 
his  point. 

To  his  great  joy,  it  was  learned  that  no  will 
had  been  made  by  Mr.  Van  Vleet.  He  now 
began  to  look  upon  himself  as  a  wealthy  man, 
and  proceedings  had  already  been  commenced  in 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  297 

court  to  have  that  property  which  would  fall  to 
an  heir  set  over  to  his  son  Perry. 

Everything  progressed  smoothly,  and  promised 
well  for  his  interests,  when,  to  his  surprise,  he 
learned,  one  day,  through  a  sailor,  that  a  child 
had  been  rescued  from  the  steamer  on  which  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Van  Vleet  were  passengers. 

The  news  alarmed  him,  and  he  at  once  took 
measures  to  investigate  the  case.  He  found  that 
the  child  was  Victor  Van  Vleet,  the  direct  heir  to 
his  father's  property. 

Between  him,  then,  and  William  Van  Vleet' s 
riches  stood  this  boy — and  no  other  barrier. 

He  hated  the  Van  Vleets,  and  coveted  their 
wealth.  Why  should  he  allow  this  puny  babe  to 
thwart  his  purpose  ?  He  asked  himself  this 
question,  and,  with  compressed  lips,  declared 
that  he  would  not. 

Evidence  introduced  into  the  criminal  proceed- 
ings against  him  showed  that  he  acted  promptly 
upon  this  decision.  It  was  proved  that  he  gave  a 
reward  to  have  the  child  kidnapped  and  taken 
where  his  identity  would  be  lost. 

This  being  done,  the  property  was  in  due  time 
set  over  to  Perry  Boggs  as  the  legal  heir, 
Anthony  Boggs  being  made  trustee  for  his  sou. 

After  a  time,  he  lost  all  knowledge  of  our 
hero.  Whether  he  was  living  or  not,  he  did  not 
know. 


298  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

Years  passed  by,  and  no  word  came  from  him, 
and  yet  Boggs  felt  always  a  sense  of  insecurity. 
He  studied  boys  by  the  thousands  and  tens  of 
thousands,  wondering  if  among  them  he  would 
ever  see  Victor  Van  Vleet,  and  yet  dreading  the 
possibility  of  such  a  discovery. 

But  the  wrongdoer  is  sure  to  be  punished 
sooner  or  later.  Nearly  fourteen  j^ears  had 
passed  by  since  his  eyes  had  fallen  upon  the  boy 
whom  he  had  so  outrageously  wronged.  In  the 
mean  time,  his  own  son  had  grown  to  be  a  young 
man,  and  was  now  accompanying  him  to  the 
theater  when  the  dreaded  discovery  was  made. 

These  facts,  together  with  the  chief  incidents 
in  our  hero's  life,  were  all  brought  out  in  the 
trial  which  resulted,  finally,  in  Anthony  Boggs' 
conviction. 

His  lawyers  moved  for  a  new  trial,  but  the 
court,  being  convinced  of  the  prisoner's  deep  vil- 
lainy, denied  the  motion,  and  sentenced  him  to 
twenty  years'  imprisonment  at  hard  labor. 

Boggs'  guilt  being  proved,  and  our  hero's 
identity  being  established  beyond  a  doubt,  all 
the  property  that  had  fallen  to  Perry  Boggs  was 
retransferred  to  its  rightful  owner— Victor  Van 
Vleet. 

"Oh,  but  don't  j'ou  see  I  can't  imagine  myself 
in  such  a  position  !  ' ' 

This  is  the  reply  that  was  made  by  Perry  Boggs 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  299 

to  a  question  by  Mrs.  Van  Vleet,  asking  him  if 
he  would  not  crave  some  sympathy  were  his  posi- 
tion exchanged  with  that  of  our  young  hero,  who 
at  that  time  was  a  half  starved,  half  clothed  street 
boy,  without  relative  or  friend. 

No,  Perry  could  not  then  imagine  such  a  transi- 
tion—he the  "swell"  youth,  with  fine  clothes 
and  abundant  wealth.  But  now  he  was  forced  to 
realize  that  it  had  come  true.  The  change 
humiliated  and  crushed  him. 

What  to  do  and  which  way  to  turn  he  knew 
not.  His  education  was  most  superficial  ;  he  had 
never  been  trained  to  work,  and  had  no  means  of 
earning  a  living.  Had  he,  however,  possessed 
the  spirit  of  a  resolute,  determined  boy,  he  would 
have  commenced  to  work  at  something,  if  ever  so 
humble  ;  but,  instead  of  this,  he  humiliated  him- 
self before  Victor  and  his  mother,  and  asked 
charity  from  them. 

Our  hero  was  heartily  congratulated  by  all  his 
friends  upon  his  absolute  triumph  over  the  man 
who  had  so  cruelly  wronged  him,  and  upon  the 
great  fortune  he  had  inherited.  Dan  Spiker's 
heart  was  overjoyed,  but  even  his  congratula- 
tions were  not  more  sincere  than  those  offered 
by  her  whose  sweet  companionship  had  made  him 
so  happy  on  that  hazardous  Australian  voj'age. 

There  was,  however,  in  her  voice  a  strain  of 
sadness  that  attracted  his  attention. 


300  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

"  What  troubles  you,  Bertha?  "  he  said  softly. 

A  sweet  blush  mantled  her  cheeks,  and  pausing 
for  a  moment,  she  said,  "  I  suppose  you  will  now 
return  to  Boston  to  live  ?  ' ' 

This  was  not  an  answer  to  his  question,  but 
it  enabled  him  to  understand  her  better  than  ever 
before. 

"No,"  said  he,  "I  am  not  sure  of  that. 
Mother  and  I  have  promised  to  meet  your  father 
and  Mr.  Montgomery  tomorrow,  to  talk  over 
several  matters,  and  probably  this  question  will 
be  settled  with  the  others.  You  see,  it  all  depends 
upon  what  is  to  be  done  with  me." 

"  Why,  what  is  to  happen  to  you  now?  "  asked 
Bertha,  with  a  look  of  alarm  darting  into  her 
pretty  eyes. 

"Oh,  nothing  serious,"  laughed  Victor,  "  only 
I  am  to  have  a  tutor,  or  be  sent  off  to  boarding 
school.  If  I  go  away,  mother  will  probably  live 
in  Boston,  as  she  has  been  doing." 

"And  if  you  do  not  go  away  to  school,  will 
you  and  she  live  here  ?  " 

' '  Yes,  mother  has  promised  me  to  do  that. ' ' 


XI.VI. 

"  T  THINK  your  best  plan  will  be  to  employ 
a  tutor  for  Victor,"  said  William  Mont- 
gomery to  Mrs.  Van  Vleet. 

The  question  of  our  hero's  education  was  the 
one  under  consideration. 

"  I  would  prefer  doing  so,  if  by  that  means  he 
will  advance  as  fast,"  replied  the  boy's  mother. 
' '  I  can  hardly  allow  him  to  leave  me  now  after 
our  long  separation." 

"  This  is  what  I  supposed  ;  and  besides,  he  will 
doubtless  do  just  as  well  with  a  good  tutor  as  he 
would  at  boarding  school." 

"  If  I  thought  not,  I  would  not  allow  my  own 
feelings  to  influence  his  course.  I  want  him  to 
have  the  best  advantages,  so  that  he  can  get  a 
good  education.    He  seems  ambitious  for  study." 

' '  Yes,  so  he  is  ;  and  he  learns  so  easily  that  he 
will  soon  overtake  those  who  now  have  the  start 
of  him." 

"  I  hope  your  prediction  will  prove  true,  and  I 
can  see  no  reason  why  it  should  not,  providing 
he  applies  himself  studiously. ' ' 

"  Yes,  the  lack  of  application  alone  would  pre- 
301 


302  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

\^ent  his  advancement,  but  I  have  little  fear  of  his 
showing  such  indolence." 

"Wealth,  you  know,  often  handicaps  one's 
ambition,  but  I  sincerely  trust  his  head  will  not 
be  turned  by  the  fortune  he  has  inherited." 

"  I  think  not ;  his  early  experience  taught  him 
the  value  of  money,  and,  moreover,  he  is  accus- 
tomed to  work,  and  this  habit  alone  is  worth  a 
great  deal  to  him." 

Turning  now  to  Commodore  Hopkins,  Mrs.  Van 
Vleet  asked  him  what  she  should  do  for  Dan 
Spiker. 

' '  That  depends  largely  upon  what  you  feel  like 
doing  for  him,"  replied  he. 

' '  I  feel  that  I  should  do  a  great  deal  for  him. 
He  rescued  my  baby  when  he  was  helpless  and 
deserted  by  every  one — rescued  him  at  the  risk 
of  losing  his  own  life." 

'  *  That  is  true ;  and  he  deserves  great  credit  for 
such  an  act." 

'  *  He  deserves  more  than  that.  Victor  agrees 
with  me  that  we  should  give  him  a  substantial 
reward  for  all  he  has  done  for  him." 

"  I  fully  agree  with  you,  and  felt  certain  that 
you  would  feel  as  you  do.  He  will  not  expect 
anything,  however.  Whatever  he  has  done  for 
Victor  was  done  with  a  noble  spirit ;  he  had  no 
thought  of  being  rewarded." 

"  No,  I  do  not  believe  he  had.     But  what  can 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  303 

we  do  for  him  ?  Would  he  take  money,  do  you 
thiuk,  and  would  that  be  the  best  thing  for 
him?" 

' '  No,  I  do  not  believe  he  would  accept  money. ' ' 

"But  he  must  be  paid  for  the  time  he  has 
remained  out  of  work  on  account  of  the  trial." 

"  Oh,  that,  of  course,  he  will  accept  as  a  matter 
of  business." 

' '  I  wish  you  would  give  the  matter  some 
thought,  and  see  what  more  can  be  done." 

"  I  have  already  considered  the  problem,"  said 
the  commodore  calml5^ 

"Have  you,  and  to  what  conclusion  did  you 
come?  " 

"I  concluded  that  it  would  be  better  to  put 
him  in  the  way  of  making  money  for  himself 
than  to  present  him  with  money,  even  if  he  would 
accept  it." 

' '  Why  so  ?  Would  he  not  be  prudent  with  it  ?  " 

"  I  presume  he  would,  but  I  do  not  believe  in 
the  principle  of  giving  direct.  It  is  much  better 
to  place  one  in  a  position  where  he  can  build  him- 
self up." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  and  I  would  be  glad  to  do 
something  of  the  sort  for  Mr.  Spiker.  But  what 
shall  it  be?" 

"  He  is  thoroughly  capable  of  commanding  a 
ship,  and  would  like  nothing  better  than  filling 
such  a  position.     I  looked  at  a  fine  vessel  yester- 


304  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

day  that  can  be  bought  at  a  reasonable  figure.  I 
have  decided  to  take  her,  and  make  Mr.  Spiker 
her  captain." 

' '  Have  you  really  ? ' '  said  Mrs.  Van  Vleet. 

"Yes." 

' '  But  how  does  that  give  Victor  and  me  a 
chance  to  aid  him  ?  " 

' '  If  you  were  to  take  a  half  interest  in  the 
ship,  then  you  would  accomplish  your  purpose, 
I  think.  Would  you  like  to  make  such  an 
investment  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  if  you  advise  it.  I,  of  course,  know 
nothing  of  shipping," 

"  It  would  undoubtedly  prove  profitable  ;  and, 
moreover,  Mr.  Spiker  would  then  feel  that  you 
had  more  than  repaid  him," 

Thus  it  came  about  in  a  few  weeks  that  Dan 
Spiker,  the  boatswain — the  honest  hearted  sailor 
who  always  acted  well  his  part — became  Captain 
Spiker,  commander  of  as  fine  a  ship  as  sails  out 
of  New  York  harbor. 

Our  young  hero  was  now  most  happily  located, 
living  with  his  mother  in  their  own  charming 
home  on  Fifth  Avenue — the  house  formerly 
occupied  by  Anthony  Boggs.  It  had  been  refur- 
nished throughout,  and  handsomely  decorated 
with  pictures  and  rare  works  of  art. 

His  own  room  was  cheerful  and  handsome. 
Ornaments  of  various  kinds  were   so  arranged 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  305 

that  the  effect  was  pleasing  and  artistic.  Every- 
thing about  the  house  suggested  refinement  and 
weahh. 

His  tutor  was  a  genial  young  man,  who  entered 
heartily  into  his  work,  and  did  all  in  his  power  to 
push  his  pupil  ahead  in  his  studies  ;  and  his 
efforts  were  not  wasted,  for  Victor  applied  him- 
self with  determination,  to  make  up  the  time  he 
had  lost  while  afloat  iu  the  great  city. 


XI.VII. 

/^NE  bright  June  morning,  just  before  the 
^^^  commencement  of  our  hero's  summer  vaca- 
tion, Commodore  Hopkins  and  Bertha  drove  up 
to  Mrs.  Van  Vleet's  residence  and  called  for 
him. 

"  Come  with  Bertha  and  me  for  a  few  hours, 
Victor,"  said  the  commodore,  with  a  look  of 
pleasure  in  his  eye.  ' '  I  want  to  show  you  some- 
thing new." 

He  did  not  need  a  second  invitation.  On  the 
contrary,  he  would  have  felt  disappointed  had  he 
been  obliged  to  remain  at  home.  To  go  off  with 
the  commodore  for  an  hour  or  two  was  a  decided 
pleasure,  as  he  was  fond  of  the  man  who  had 
been  his  benefactor  ;  but  to  go  with  him,  accom- 
panied by  Bertha,  meant  infinitely  more  to  Victor. 

They  drove  down  the  avenue  and  down  Broad- 
way to  South  Ferry.  There  they  took  a  boat  for 
Bay  Ridge.  Both  Bertha  and  Victor  wondered 
what  the  commodore's  object  was  in  taking  them 
there.  He  told  them  that  they  would  soon  learn, 
and  he  would  say  no  more. 

"  Oh,  what  a  pretty  yacht !  "  exclaimed  Bertha, 
306 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY.  307 

as  lier  eyes  fell  upon  one  riding  at  anchor  near 
the  landing, 

"  She  is  a  beauty,"  replied  Victor. 

"  Papa,  just  look  and  see  her.  Isn't  she 
lovely?" 

' '  Yes,  she  is  rather  a  pretty  yacht, ' '  replied  her 
father  indifferently. 

"And  her  name  is — is  B — Bertha,"  said  Vic- 
tor enthusiastically.  He  was  barely  able  to  read 
the  name  at  so  great  a  distance. 

"  Is  it,  truly?  "  asked  Bertha. 

"  Yes  ;  just  Bertha  and  nothing  else." 

"  How  very  strange,  w^ien  our  ship  was  named 
Bertha  Hopkins." 

' '  Yes,  so  it  is  ;  but  this  boat  was  probably 
named  for  some  other  Bertha." 

Presently  the  landing  was  reached,  and  our 
party,  to  the  surprise  of  Bertha  and  Victor,  got 
into  a  rowboat,  and  were  quickly  rowed  out  to 
the  handsome  yacht  Bertha. 

"  This  is  what  I  wanted  to  show  you,"  said 
Comn:odore  Hopkins,  with  a  smile,  as  they  sur- 
veyed the  handsome  craft.  ' '  I  bought  her 
last  week  before  she  had  been  launched." 

The  expressions  of  gratitude  that  poured  forth 
from  our  young  friends  made  clear  their  delight. 

' '  How  did  you  happen  to  buy  her  ?  ' '  asked 
Bertha. 

'  *  I  bought  her  because   you   and  Victor  are 


3o8  AFLOAT  IN  A  GREAT  CITY. 

always  talking  of  the  sea,  and  wishing  you  could 
live  on  the  water.  I  thought  you  would  both 
enjoy  cruising  along  the  coast  more  than  going 
to  some  summer  resort  during  your  vacation. ' ' 

"So  we  would — a  thousand  times  rather,"  said 
both,  in  the  very  ecstasy  of  joy.  Their  happy 
faces  went  far  toward  repaying  the  commodore 
for  his  heavy  investment. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  Fourth  of  July, 
when  patriotic  guns  on  every  side  were  booming, 
the  Bertha  weighed  anchor,  and  spreading  her 
snow  white  sails,  speeded  down  the  Bay. 

Commodore  and  Mrs.  Hopkins,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Montgomery,  Mrs.  Van  Vleet,  Bertha  and  Victor, 
made  up  the  party  on  board  the  beautiful  craft 
which  had  put  out  for  a  two  months'  cruise  along 
the  Eastern  coast. 

"  It  seems  pleasant  to  be  on  the  water  again," 
said  Bertha,  as  she  and  Victor  chatted  happily 
together. 

"It  does,  indeed,"  returned  her  companion. 
"  But  I  can't  help  thinking  of  the  strange  events 
that  have  happened  since  I  sailed  over  this  course 
about  eight  months  ago.  How  heartsick  I  was 
then  at  being  forced  to  go  to  sea  !  Now,  noth- 
ing would  suit  me  as  well.  Then  I  had  no 
friends,  no  home,  no  relatives,  uo  money.  Now 
I  have  them  all. ' ' 

"  It  sounds  like  a  story,  doesn't  it?     And  just 


» 


AFLOAT  IN  A  GRKAT  CITY.  309 

think,  if  you  had  not  gone  on  our  ship  you  would 
not  have  known  Dan  Spiker,  and  perhaps  you 
would  never  have  found  your  mother  or  secured 
your  property. ' ' 

' '  Yes,  that  is  so.  Good  came  out  of  Boggs' 
villainous  purpose  after  all.  I  should  never 
have  known  j'02i,  either,"  replied  Victor,  in  a  way 
that  seemed  to  say  he  considered  her  friendship 
dearer  to  him  than  all  else. 

The  meaning  of  this  remark  was  so  plain  that 
Bertha  could  not  fail  to  understand  him,  and  the 
crimson  tint  that  mantled  her  cheeks,  her  man- 
ner, and  her  reply,  all  showed  that  she  appreci- 
ated the  tender  sentiment  he  expressed,  rather 
than  spoke. 

Triumphant  over  his  enemies,  risen  above  all 
opposition,  happy  in  his  beautiful  home,  and  yet 
more  happy  in  his  present  association  with  the 
charming  companion  now  chatting  merrily  by  his 
side,  we  will  wish  him  and  her,  and  all  on  board 
the  handsom.e  yacht,  a  safe  and  delightful  cruise 
along  the  picturesque  coast  of  New  England. 


THE    END. 


iSlSn  '^^■'"^^^^'^  '-'B'««Y  '  AGILITY 


A  A      000  251909 


